The Dark Phoenix's Rise
by Animegod 197
Summary: Boris wants to release Black Dranzer from its blade and seal the four Sacred Beasts. He kidnaps and uses Hilary to free the dark creature. Can the others save her and the world? Ty/Hil, Max/Mariam, Ray/Mariah, Kenny/Emily, and a hint of Kai/Hil.
1. Chapter 1

This is my second Beyblade story. Hope you like it. It's also my first action/adventure story. Read & Review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

* * *

Boris stood in a dark chamber. His gaze was fixed on a small black object; a beyblade. It was covered in a thick, clear glass case, as though too delicate to be exposed to the outside world. Boris smiled as he looked at the picture in the center of the blade. It showed a black bird, a phoenix with its wings spread and a fierce countenance.

Boris let out a devilish chuckle. "Soon, the Sacred Bit-Beasts will be no more and the world will be mine."

* * *

The sun shone down on the Granger dojo, highlighting the activity of its inhabitants. Kenny was on the dojo porch, feverishly typing away on his laptop, though the contents of his work were unknown to those around him. Daichi and Hiro were engaged in a practice bey-battle, with both sides evenly matched. The four-time world champion was inside, lying on his bed with his arms wrapped protectively around a girl. She had chocolate-brown hair that reached halfway down her back. Both had their eyes closed, indicating that they were asleep. The two would've stayed in their peaceful slumber, had it not been for an insistent knocking at the door.

Tyson moaned unhappily and slowly opened his eyes. Seeing his current position, Tyson slowly untangled himself from Hilary, and moved to open the door. He saw Hiro standing there with a cell phone in his hand.

"What is it Hiro?" he asked, sleep still evident in his voice.

"Mr. Dickenson is on the phone for you. He says it's urgent."

A look of puzzlement crossed Tyson's features, but he took the phone anyway. "Hey Mr. D, what's up?"

"Tyson, I have grave news. Our sources have obtained information that Biovolt is active again. You must come down to my office at once. I've already alerted Ray, Max and Kai."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Tyson hung up the phone and gave it back to Hiro.

"Tyson, what did Mr. Dickenson say?" Hiro asked.

"He said that we need to see him ASAP. Apparently, Boris is up to his old tricks again."

"I'll alert the others." With that he turned and left.

Tyson turned when he heard a yawn. Hilary was sitting up and stretching. Apparently, the conversation had woken her up.

He smiled and sat down next to her. "I'm sorry Hil, did I wake you?"

"No. Did I miss anything?"

"Well, yes. Mr. Dickenson just called and he said that I need to visit with him."

"Really? What about?"

He hesitated before answering. "Biovolt is active again, which means Boris has something nefarious planned."

"That's terrible! Well come on, we've gotta get over there!" she said, heading toward the door.

"Hilary wait!" She turned back to him. "Maybe…maybe you should stay here."

"What do you mean?" A look of confusion was soon replaced by a look of sadness. "Oh, I see. You don't think I belong there."

"No, that's not it! You belong there just as much as any of us. It's just…anything that involves Boris could get really dangerous and I couldn't live with myself if something were to happen to you."

Hilary smiled at her boyfriend. "Thank you for looking out for me, but I want to be there to support you."

"Okay, but if it's anything that would put you in danger, I want you to stay behind."

* * *

When Tyson and the others walked in, they found Max, Ray and Kai all there. After the reunion (which Kai had essentially refused to participate in) Mr. Dickenson asked them all to sit down.

"Boys, as I told you all over the phone, we have reason to believe that Boris has resumed Biovolt activities. He has reactivated his facility in Russia and we've obtained surveillance tapes that show him in physical possession of something terrible."

"What is it?" Max asked.

"It is a force that I'm sure you are all familiar with; the dark bit-beast, Black Dranzer."

A collective gasp was heard around the room, from everyone except Daichi, Hiro and Hilary who all exchanged confused looks.

"What's Black Dranzer?" Hilary asked.

"It is an evil Dranzer essentially. Kai was once in possession of it and stole many bit-beasts with it before being defeated by Tyson and the others. It wasn't really his fault as Black Dranzer's darkness had corrupted his mind."

"I really don't want to be reminded of that," Kai said darkly.

"I apologize. Regardless, we must find out what he plans to do with it."

"Are we going to Russia?" Ray asked.

"In time, but you cannot do this alone. That's why I've contacted other teams to accompany you. The White Tigers, the PPB All-Starz, and the Saint Shields will be working with you. They've already arrived and will be waiting at the dojo."

"Good, we'll need all the help we can get," Tyson said.

"You will also need someone who knows the Abbey well enough to infiltrate it."

"Don't we have Kai for that?" Ray asked.

"Yes, but he is needed to fight with you, and we can't put him at risk of capture. I've arranged for an informant to accompany you to Russia to get inside the Abbey.

"Who's the informant?" Hiro asked.

"Tala Valkov. He'll be waiting for you when we're through here."

"Not to question your judgment Mr. D, but are you sure we can trust him?" Tyson asked.

"It's okay. Tala's no longer loyal to Boris," Kai said.

"You will all be heading to Russia tomorrow. Whatever that evil scientist is planning must be stopped."


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the second chapter. Hope you like it! I made one change in the plotline here, but it's nothing big.

* * *

When they got to the dojo, the other teams were indeed waiting for them. Mariah immediately ran to Ray and crushed him in a hug.

"Ray, it's so good to see you again!" she said gleefully.

"It's good to see you too Mariah," he choked out.

Lee walked over to them and smiled at Ray. "Hello Ray." He cast a disapproving look at his pink-haired teammate. "Mariah, this is not a social visit. We're here on important business. You and Ray can catch up later."

Mariah pouted at Lee, but let go of Ray.

"Hey Max!" Max turned and saw Emily waving to him. He smiled and waved back.

"Okay everyone, I think we need to go inside and figure out a plan," Hiro said. They all nodded and went inside.

They found the Saint Shields as well as Tala sitting on the floor.

"Hey Ozuma, how have you been?" Tyson asked.

"We're all fine Tyson. It's good to see you."

"Hi Mariam," Max said softly while blushing.

The blue-haired blader blushed slightly and smiled at him. "Hey Max."

Tala stood up and walked over to Kai. They shook hands as a show of respect.

"Okay, if all the greetings are finished, I think we need to get down to the problem at hand," Hiro said.

"I agree. Sit down everyone," Tala said.

After everyone was seated, Tala continued. "As you probably already know, Boris has reactivated the Abbey and brought out Black Dranzer. I'm still at the Abbey, so I was able to get him to tell me what his plan was. You know that Black Dranzer is able to seal bit-beasts when it wins a battle. That requires that someone actually wield the beyblade and the only one capable of doing that is Kai."

"So he wants to recruit Kai again?" Tyson asked.

"No. Boris knows Kai will never join him again. So instead of going through the trouble of finding someone else, he plans to do something I didn't think was possible. Boris wants to release Black Dranzer from its blade and use it to seal the four Sacred Spirits in the Rock. Once they're out of the way, he can conquer the world unhindered."

"That's crazy! He'll never be able to control that thing!" Kenny said.

"He doesn't plan to control it. Black Dranzer will go around the world, defeating and sealing bit-beasts until only it is left. Then it will return to its beyblade, leaving Boris to rule."

"Okay, but how is he going to release Black Dranzer?" Michael asked.

"I don't know. All he said was that he needed someone 'pure' to touch Black Dranzer, and release it."

"Pure? What does he mean by pure?" Emily asked.

"I'll see if I can find any information on releasing a bit-beast," Kenny said.

"We need to train. We don't know what kind of tricks Boris has up his sleeve, so it's best to be prepared," Kai said.

"He's right. Ray, you train with the White Tigers, Max, go with the All-Stars, Kai you're with me, Daichi, Tala and Tyson," said Hiro.

"I'll see if I can help Kenny," Hilary said.

"We'll train with you," Ozuma said.

"Alright everyone, let's go," Hiro said.

* * *

Boris feverishly typed on the computer in his lab.

"There must be some weakness I can exploit. Even the world champion isn't invincible."

As he looked through page after page on Tyson and his beyblade, his face contorted in frustration. There seemed to be no inherent flaw in Tyson's style or Dragoon. He slammed his fist on the keyboard in anger.

"Is there nothing that can bring down this fool?" he shouted.

He looked up at the screen and saw a link with stats on each of the members of the G-Revolutions. Clicking on it, he scrolled down the page reading all the stats on every player.

**Hiro Granger**

**Team affiliation: G-Revolutions**

**Beyblade: Metal Driger**

**Attacks: Iron Claw, Multi-image Illusion, Wing Boxer Attack**

**Bit-Beast: None (Previously Metal Driger)**

**Team Position: Team Captain**

**Kai Hiwatari**

**Team affiliation: G-Revolutions**

**Beyblade: Dranzer Metal Spiral**

**Attacks: None**

**Bit-Beast: Dranzer**

**Team Position: Co-Captain/Second in Command**

**Tyson Granger**

**Team affiliation: G-Revolutions**

**Beyblade: Dragoon Metal Storm**

**Attacks: Galaxy Storm, Galaxy Turbo Twister, Evolution Storm**

**Bit-Beast: Dragoon**

**Daichi Sumeragi**

**Team affiliation: G-Revolutions**

**Beyblade: Strata Dragoon Metal Spike**

**Attacks: Spike Saw**

**Bit-Beast: Strata Dragoon**

**Kenny**

**Team affiliation: G-Revolutions**

**Beyblade: Hopper**

**Attacks: None**

**Bit-Beast: Dizzara (a.k.a "Dizzi")**

**Team position: Technical advisor**

The last person's stats were Hilary's.

**Hilary Tatibana**

**Team affiliation: G-Revolutions**

**Beyblade: None**

**Bit-Beast: None**

**Team position: Cheerleader**

A wicked smile slowly crept across Boris's face and his laugh echoed through the empty corridors of the Abbey…


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! This is the third chapter of the story. I'm reuploading it due to catching some more mistakes as I'm a stickler for getting everything perfect when it comes to mechanics. Hope you enjoy the chapter, for those who haven't read the story.

* * *

All the teams were vigorously training, trying to prepare for the near-at-hand mission.

"Gary! Concentrate on the battle! Food should be the last thing on your mind!" Lee yelled at his large friend.

"Sorry..." he said meekly.

Ozuma wasn't being any kinder to his teammates. "Joseph and Dunga, you have to push yourselves if you want to be ready in time."

"Why are you being so uptight about this?" Joseph complained.

"Yeah, how bad can this Black Dranzer be?" Dunga asked.

"We don't know what that thing is capable of, so we can't take any chances!" Ozuma said.

Michael was having problems of a different kind. "Rick, for heaven's sake, I know you're strong, but we have to work together if we want to be effective! That's why I decided on partner battles."

"Why? I think I'm good enough to go in on my own," the muscle-bound blader said.

"Because if you underestimate your opponent, you could end up in a very bad situation," Emily said.

Rick muttered something under his breath, but complied with his captain's orders.

Hiro wasn't having trouble with his team as they all understood the importance of the situation.

Meanwhile, Kenny and Hilary were looking up everything they could find on Bit-Beasts which even now wasn't very much. Research was still being conducted on the mysterious spirits and a lot remained a mystery.

"Wait, I think I found something," Hilary said.

"What is it?" Kenny asked.

"It's an article about Bit-Beasts that have bonded with a human."

Kenny clicked on the link and read the article until he found what he looking for.

"It says that if at any time a player wants their relationship with a Bit-Beast to end for whatever reason, they must concentrate and call forth the spirits name. They call for the spirit to be released from its seal, whatever it might be, and then the Bit-Beast will be free to roam until it either decides to return to its world or is sealed again."

"It says that one must have a very strong relationship with their spirit in order for this to take place," Hilary said.

"Okay, that helps, but what about a Bit-Beast that has no bond with a person?" Kenny asked, more to himself than to Hilary.

"Keep reading and maybe you'll get your answer," Hilary said.

Just then, Tyson and Tala decided to walk in.

"Have you found out anything?" Tala asked.

"Well, we know that a Bit-Beast with a partner can be released from its seal, but we still need some more information," Kenny said.

"Hilary could you and I talk privately for a minute?" Tyson asked.

"Sure."

She got up and followed Tyson up to his room. Once the door was closed, Tyson turned to his girlfriend with a serious yet concerned expression.

"Do you remember what I said earlier today about this mission possibly putting you in danger?"

"Yes…" Hilary said slowly, knowing where this conversation was heading.

"Boris is a sick man and he isn't above using innocent people for his own devices. Your safety is my prime concern, and I'm not gonna put you at unnecessary risk."

"So you want me to stay behind huh?" she asked.

"Initially I did, but then I realized that you would actually be in more danger if you stayed here alone. Boris could send one of his goons over here while we're in Russia and I wouldn't be able to get to you. I would rather you be with us so I can protect you."

Tyson smiled and pulled Hilary into a loving embrace. "I'll keep you safe. I promise," he whispered to her.

"I know you will," she answered.

Kai decided to barge in at that exact moment. "Tyson, what are you doing up-" He stopped short when he noticed the couple. A smirk formed on his face. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

Blushing, the two let go of each other. "We were just talking," Hilary said.

"I see…well Tyson, you need to get back to training. You'll have plenty of time to snuggle with your girlfriend after we stop Boris." The co-captain walked out, still smirking to himself.

"Sheesh, is there no such thing as privacy anymore?" Tyson complained to himself.

* * *

That night, everyone retired early so they could catch the plane on time. All the teams (for the most part) slept together. Ray and Mariah were closer than normal, and Mariam decided to sleep close to Max instead of with the Saint Shields. Kenny and Emily decided to sleep together against the wall to "get away from all the snoring" as they put it. Tyson and Hilary slept together in Tyson's bed as had been the custom ever since they got together (Tyson said he couldn't sleep without Hilary beside him). Tala and Kai however, stayed up talking about a possible strategy to combat Boris (or heaven forbid, Black Dranzer). They didn't go to sleep until after midnight.

* * *

The next day, everyone (including Tyson, unbelievably) got up bright and early. After being informed of their flight schedule, Hiro, Kai and Tala rushed everyone in getting ready. Once they were all gathered, a bus took them to the airport and Mr. Dickenson was waiting to give them their tickets.

"Are you coming with us, Mr. Dickenson?" Max asked.

"I'm afraid I can't. I have to continue to attend to the affairs of the BBA."

"Well, we'll see you," Eddy said.

"Be careful everyone," Mr. Dickenson said.

After taking their seats, the group immediately started talking amongst themselves, all except Tala who sat by himself.

Ray and Max noticed Kai (who they sat next to) continuously glancing over at Tyson and Hilary.

"Kai, why do you keep staring at them?" Ray asked.

Kai turned to Ray with the same smirk from yesterday. "You know how we always said that Tyson and Hilary liked each other even though they argued constantly?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well apparently, they finally admitted it not only to themselves, but to each other. I walked in on them yesterday looking for Tyson, and they were holding on to each other _very_ tightly. And when I called Hilary his girlfriend, he didn't deny it."

Max smiled, "Oh really? Well it's about time!" He turned back and saw Mariam looking back at him, but the second she noticed him, she turned around.

"What are you doing?" Ozuma asked. He had seen her constantly looking back at the seats behind them and it was starting to irritate him.

"I was just looking out the window," she lied unconvincingly.

Ozuma raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but didn't press the matter.

Ray glanced over at Mariah who was sitting next to Lee. A glint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, but it was gone in an instant.

Kenny and Emily sat together both typing on their respective computers and talking to each other every so often.

Tala also looked at Hilary occasionally, but his expression was troubled. Eventually, he walked over to the couple and got Tyson's attention.

"Tyson, could I talk to you?" he asked.

"Okay…" Tyson said cautiously. He followed Tala toward the back of the isle.

"Tyson, I know you and the others consider Hilary a part of the team, but are you sure she should be going with us? Since she doesn't beyblade, she's the most vulnerable."

"Don't you think I realize that? I originally wanted to leave her behind for that very reason. But if she's with all of us, she'll be safer than if she was in Japan alone."

"The keyword is alone. I understand what you're saying, but by bringing her with us, the level of risk is much greater. At least in Japan, there's nothing she can't handle."

"I would rather her be here. If she's by herself in another country, I'll be worrying over her constantly wondering if she's alright and I won't be able to concentrate on beyblading."

Tala was surprised at his answer. Tyson had actually made a valid point. But that didn't mean it wasn't flawed.

"But if she's here, your mind will be on making sure she's safe and you still won't be able to concentrate."

"I get what you mean, but I'd rather keep her close by. At least then, I'll _be there_ if something does happen and that alone will help put my mind at ease."

Tala sighed. Tyson had a point, and when he set his mind on something, there was no changing it.

"Alright, but Hilary's safety is your responsibility."

That was something Tyson knew all too well. He had taken it upon himself to protect her a long time ago.


	4. Chapter 4

Here's chapter 4. Here we get to the Adventure part of the story.

* * *

When the plane landed, it was nearly nightfall. Everyone got out in pairs and after making sure that all were accounted for, Tala went to the front and faced the group.

"Okay everyone, the Abbey isn't far from here. Before we go on, there are two things I want done. First, everyone will stay in pairs at all times. It'll be safer that way. No one but myself is allowed to go alone. Second, we'll need to disable the Abbey's security system. There are cameras everywhere in that place and all around the perimeter. If Boris catches us, we're done for."

"Can we choose who our partners are?" Max asked.

"Fine, but do it quickly."

"I pick Mariam!" Max said immediately.

"Hilary's with me," Tyson said with finality.

"I'll go with Ray!" Mariah said quickly before Lee could interrupt.

"I'll stick with Eddy," Michael said.

"I pick Kevin," Daichi said.

"I'll stay with Lee," Ozuma said.

"Dunga's with me!" Joseph exclaimed.

"I'll go with Kai," Hiro said. Kai glared at him, but kept silent.

"Okay then, that leaves Kenny, Emily, Rick and Gary," Tala said. "Kenny and Emily, you two stay together. You're the brains here and we need you to shut down the Abbey's security."

"You got it!" Emily said.

"Gary and Rick, I guess you're partners."

Everyone partnered up and Tala led the way. When they came to a bridge, Tala stopped and turned around.

"Across this bridge is the road leading to the Abbey. Once we cross it, Kenny and Emily will hack into the mainframe and shut off the camera system so Boris can't detect us. After the security is down, the rest of us will go inside and split off into three teams to look for Black Dranzer. Unfortunately, even I don't know where Boris keeps it. He's moved it to a secret location. I'll go by myself and warn you if I see Boris. Understood?"

Everyone nodded. They crossed and then Kenny and Emily found a place to sit and began trying to access the Abbey's main computer.

"I should warn you now, once the power is off, it won't take Boris long to notice," Tala told them. "I don't know how long it'll take him to get the system back up, so we have to move fast. Also, there are guards here that are trained to kill. If you come across them, either run or surrender. We don't want any casualties."

At the word kill, Tyson instinctively pulled Hilary closer to him. Max and Mariam exchanged worried looks and Ray gave Mariah's hand a squeeze along with a reassuring smile.

"We're in the main computer," Kenny said. When they tried to access the security system, an "Access Denied" notice came up.

"Oh great there's a firewall," Emily said.

"If we work together, we can hack it in a couple of minutes," Kenny said.

"Hurry, you guys," Tala said.

"Won't Boris know that you're messing with the computer?" Hilary asked.

"We've already taken care of that. There's a cloaking system installed on both our computers so that no other network can detect our activities," said Emily.

"We're in!" Kenny said excitedly.

"Alright, let's go!" Tala said.

The group (minus Kenny and Emily) ran ahead until they came across a large black building. Kai's eyes filled with hatred at the sight. _This time I'll take that bastard down for good!_

Tala turned to the group one last time. "Max, Tyson, and Ray, you'll be the first group. Ozuma, Hiro, and Daichi, you'll be the second group. Michael, Rick, and Dunga, you'll be the third group"

Tala opened the door and all of them went inside. After everyone was in, they split up into their respective teams and went separate directions. Group 1 went north, Group 2 went east and Group 3 went west.

* * *

Group 2 eventually came upon the student dorms, and luckily, everyone was asleep. They backed out slowly and went the opposite direction, which led to three guards spotting them. Turning around, they ran and split into three separate pairs going in three separate directions in an attempt to confuse the guards.

* * *

Group 3 stumbled upon the medical ward.

"Oh good, a bed. Can we take a few minutes to rest?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah, I'm beat from all this running," Dunga complained. Gary nodded in agreement.

"No, you cannot rest," Michael said. "We have to find Black Dranzer and get out of here before Boris finds us or anyone else in the group."

"Get up and keep going!" Rick said harshly.

The three muttered their displeasure, but did as they were told.

* * *

Tala went straight to Boris's chambers and saw that he wasn't there. "Either he's not in the building or he's with Black Dranzer…and if he's with Black Dranzer that means…" A frightening realization hit him just then. "He knows we're here…"

* * *

Group 1 hadn't come across anyone yet. They seemed to be descending as they had gone done down several stairs already. Eventually, they came upon the ground floor. The corridor was almost pitch-black and it was only because of Ray and Mariah that they were able to know where they were going.

"This place gives me the creeps," Hilary said.

"I know. Me too," Mariah agreed. "How about we just blow the whole thing up after we find Black Dranzer?"

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," said a menacing voice.

The lights suddenly flickered on and in front of them stood the object of the Bladebreaker's hatred, Boris.

"You see, none of you will be getting out of here alive, so blowing up the building is certainly out of the question. You're looking for Black Dranzer? Only I know where it resides. However, I'd be willing to take you to it if you do me one favor."

"What's that you sick freak?" Ray practically growled at him.

"Give me Hilary and I'll lead you to Black Dranzer."

"What?! Forget it!" Max shouted.

"What do you want with her Boris?" Mariah demanded.

"I need her in order to release Black Dranzer from its blade. She's the only one of you that possesses the purity required to free him."

"What are you talking about?" Mariam asked.

"Hilary is the only one who has never had contact with a Bit-Beast. When she touches the bit-chip on Black Dranzer, it will be released, as there is nothing to interfere and fight to keep it inside the blade. Were anyone else to touch it, your Bit-Beast would immediately stop the process in order to protect you. Hilary however, doesn't have a connection with a Bit-Beast so there is nothing to protect her." He let out a wicked laugh.

"You're crazy if you think I'll ever help you!" Hilary shouted at him.

"On the contrary my dear, you don't have a choice," Boris said with a smirk on his face.

"You touch her, and I swear I'll kill you!" Tyson said giving Boris an almost demonic glare.

Everyone looked at Tyson shocked. They had never seen him this angry before and from the look on his face, he was serious about his threat.

"You are in no real position to be making threats Tyson," he said.

He snapped his fingers and out walked Ian, Spencer and Bryan.

"Spencer, you handle Ray and Mariah. Ian, take on Max and the girl. Bryan, I leave Tyson to you."

All except for Hilary took out their beyblades and launched them immediately. However, Tyson didn't launch Dragoon at Bryan's blade. He launched it straight at Bryan. Caught off guard, the boy was hit directly in the face and fell to the ground, blood covering his head, face, and neck.

All activity stopped in that moment. Spencer and Ian looked at their teammate in horror while Ray and the others looked at Tyson in shock. Tyson just glared at Bryan and then at Boris.

"Nobody's taking her away," he said in a low, dangerous voice.

Boris growled. "You will pay for that!" He turned to Ian and Spencer. "Take Bryan to the medical ward immediately. I'll deal with them." The two picked up Bryan and left.

"Well Tyson, I must admit I underestimated your resolve to protect Hilary. Still, I will not be denied. Guards!"

Six uniformed men appeared behind the group and restrained everyone. Boris smirked and walked over to Hilary who was struggling against the guard. "Well my dear, it appears you'll be assisting me after all." He turned to the rest of the group. "Guards, take the others to the dungeon cells."

"You bastard!" Tyson shouted.

Seeing Hilary was still struggling, the guard placed a finger on her neck and she immediately went limp. "Take Hilary to Black Dranzer's chamber," Boris told him.

"Boris, I swear to God, if I find you hurt her-"

"_I_ won't do anything to her. You can be assured of that. However, that doesn't mean she won't come to harm."

With a swift blow to the head, the guards knocked out each of their captors.

"Take the fools away. I have more important business to attend to."

The guards took the others down a separate corridor leaving Hilary with Boris. The scientist smiled evilly at the unconscious girl.

"Now that you're mine, my plan can finally come to fruition. How ironic that you will be the instrument of your loved one's demise."

He walked down the corridor and the lights dimmed. The guard followed him into the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

This is the fifth chapter. I thought about making it longer, but I decided to stop here. Anyway, I hope you like it. Read & Review!

* * *

Hilary slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a dimly lit room. There were no windows and only one door from what she could see. Looking ahead, she saw what they had all been looking for: Black Dranzer. Hilary quickly scanned the room and saw that she was alone. She got up and tried the door, but found that it was locked.

"Great, I'm trapped in this hellhole and I have no idea where the others are and they probably don't know where I am." She let out a tired sigh. "I hope everyone's alright…"

* * *

Tyson had just woken up. His head was still throbbing. He looked around and saw that he was in a small cell. Tyson got up and looked to his right and left and saw Ray and Mariah on his left and Max and Mariam on his right. Both pairs were in separate cages and he could see them through glass panes on either side. Though he was glad his teammates were alright, his mind immediately drifted to the one he had sworn to protect.

_I can't believe I let that happen. I let her down._

Tyson was angry, both at himself and at Boris, but mostly at Boris.

_If I find out he's harmed any part of her in any way, he's dead! I don't care if I have to rot in jail for the rest of my life, I will murder that monster!_

"Tyson, is that you?" a voice asked.

Tyson looked up and saw it was Max. "Hey Max. Glad you're okay."

"Yeah, Mariam's okay too. How are Ray and Mariah?"

"Unconscious still, but alive as far as I can tell," he answered.

"Good." Max hesitated before speaking again, knowing the subject he was about to bring up could set the world champion off. "What about Hilary?"

Tyson's expression instantly darkened and his eyes narrowed into slits. Max was actually a little afraid of his friend. "Forget I said anything," he said quickly.

Tyson paused and his features softened. He sighed and looked at Max apologetically. "I'm sorry. It's just…I can't stand not knowing if she's okay. I wanna kill Boris for taking her and I hate myself for letting it happen!"

"Tyson, it's not your fault. Boris is the one who did all this and trust me; we all want to get our hands on him."

"Well, you'll have to get in line because I get the first crack at him. If I don't kill him, the rest of you can finish him off," he said, smirking.

Max knew that Tyson was only half joking.

"Anyway, what we need to do now is find a way out of here," Max said.

"Don't expect to be leaving anytime soon."

* * *

Kenny and Emily had been fighting off sleep as night had fully descended.

"They've been in there a long time. Do you think they're okay?" Emily asked.

"I hope so. You never know when dealing with Boris," he answered.

"It's been really cool getting to work with you. We never had a chance to before. Your intelligence is very impressive," Emily said.

Kenny blushed scarlet at the compliment. "Thank you. Your intellect is very stimulating as well." _And so is your body _his mind added.

Kenny shook his head immediately trying to rid himself of the perverted thoughts. _Bad Kenny, bad Kenny!_

"Um Kenny…" Emily began.

"Yes?" The boy was blushing even harder now.

"After this is over, assuming the objective is completed, could we exchange contact information, to keep in touch?" she asked, blushing herself.

"Of course."

"Good, because I'd really like to get to know you better."

"Likewise."

* * *

Ian walked in smirking and behind him were six guards each carrying the unconscious body of one of their teammates. Kai, Hiro, Kevin, Daichi, Ozuma and Lee were all thrown into separate cells. Ian sat down at a small desk between the rows of cells.

"Oh no…" Max whispered.

"I'm sure we'll get the rest of your group soon enough. As I said, don't expect to be leaving. I've been sent to keep an eye on you and only I have the keys to the cells. Oh and don't think about using your beyblades either. They're in Boris's private chambers."

"Let us out of here you disgusting imp!" Mariam yelled at him.

"I don't think so, little lady. Boss has said to keep you here until he's finished with the other girl."

Tyson's gaze became fixed to Ian and he gave the same murderous look he had given Boris before.

"Where is she?" he growled.

"She's with Black Dranzer, not that you'll ever find where that is."

Groaning was heard and everyone looked to Ray and Mariah's cell. The two were just waking up.

"Are you guys alright?" Tyson asked.

"Aside from a splitting headache, yeah," Mariah answered.

"Where are we?" Ray asked.

"You're in the holding cells, where you'll be staying for a while," Ian answered.

"Where are the others?" Mariah asked.

"Look in front of you and you'll see."

The two saw six of their other teammates in separate cells across from them.

"Your other friends will be joining you soon, don't worry."

_We've got to get out of here! _Ray thought.

* * *

Hilary was sitting by the door, just waiting for something to happen. She had tried to find something to break the glass surrounding Black Dranzer, but the room was bare of anything blunt or sharp that she could use.

She heard the doorknob turning and her eyes filled with fear. The door opened and Hilary sighed in relief when she saw it was Tala. She stood up so he would notice her. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her.

"Hilary, you're okay."

"Yeah, I just wish I knew if the others were okay."

"They've probably been captured and taken to the dungeon cells. If you're here, I doubt they were able to escape."

Tala spotted Black Dranzer in the center of the room. "So this is where he keeps it..."

"Tala you need to get out of here. If Boris finds you, you'll be imprisoned too," Hilary said.

"No. I won't be imprisoned, I'll be tortured," he said gravely. "I'm one of his students, so his punishments are far worse."

"That's horrible!"

"It's how he is. He's a twisted creature."

"Listen. Go find the others and tell them where I am. Do not let Boris see you. I couldn't stand it if you were punished because of me. I'll be fine. If Black Dranzer is freed, get out immediately. Don't risk your lives trying to save me. I'll get out on my own if I can."

"Hilary, this is absolute suicide! You can't be serious!" Tala nearly shouted.

"Your lives are more important than mine. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure my friends are safe, even if it means sacrificing my own safety. They've done so much for me, this is the least I can do for them."

"Are you sure?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes, now go!" she said firmly.

He nodded and ran out toward the direction of the dungeon.

Hilary went and closed the door so it would look like no one else was in the room.

"I hope he'll be alright…"

* * *

Ian was still keeping watch over the prisoners. Kai and the rest of his group had woken up and after being filled in, they found that their beyblades were gone. Kai had sworn to cut Boris's throat for taking Dranzer and kidnapping Hilary, if Tyson didn't kill him first.

Now they were still trying to find a way to get out of their cells, but with Ian watching, it seemed next to impossible. Suddenly, Ian's eyes widened in shock and his expression turned to one of pain. Seconds later, he fell face first and didn't move. Everyone turned to see what the disturbance was and saw Michael with his bey-launcher pointed at Ian. Rick, Gary, Dunga, Eddy and Joseph came out from around the corner.

"Mariam, you're alright!" Joseph said as he ran to her.

"Yeah. Glad to see you're okay too," she said.

"Get the keys Joseph and get us out of here!" Ozuma said.

"Right."

He looked on the desk and then in Ian's pockets. After pulling the keys out of his pocket, Joseph went around and freed everyone.

"Come on, we've gotta find Hilary! Wherever she is, that's where Black Dranzer is," Tyson said.

"In that case, you'd better follow me," Tala said as he came into view. "I found out where Boris is keeping Hilary, and it is in fact Black Dranzer's chamber."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kai said.

"Before you do, I think you might want these." Tala reached into his pocket and pulled out Dragoon, then tossed it to Tyson. "I managed to get to Boris's room and retrieve these."

"Thanks man, we owe you one," Tyson said.

Tala handed everyone their blades. "Now come on, we don't have much time!"


	6. Chapter 6

Finally, we get to the part where Black Dranzer is actually released from its blade. I hope I was able to make the whole process realistic and believable. Anyway, read, review and enjoy!

* * *

Hilary saw the doorknob move again and got up, hoping it was Tala with the others. She was thoroughly disappointed and very frightened when Boris walked in instead.

"Hello Hilary, are you enjoying your stay with Black Dranzer?" he asked in a sickeningly sweet way.

"I was until you walked in!" Hilary said with as much venom as she could muster.

Boris merely smirked. "Well, are you ready for your task?"

"You obviously didn't hear me earlier, so let me reiterate: I will never, even in your wildest dreams help you fulfill your twisted plan. I would rather drop dead!" she said glaring at him with almost pure hatred.

Boris narrowed his eyes at Hilary. "If you continue this foolish defiance, that can easily be arranged!"

"Go ahead, kill me. I won't have to look at your face anymore and you won't have anyone to free Black Dranzer. Either way, I win." Hilary was the one smirking now.

He growled at Hilary, clearing getting frustrated. "If you will not do it willingly, you will do it by force!"

Boris grabbed her arm and pulled her toward Black Dranzer.

"Get your hands off me!" Hilary brought back her other hand and slapped him as hard as she could. While he was stunned, she pulled herself out of his grasp and ran for the open door.

"Guards! Stop her!" Boris called.

Two guards appeared and blocked her way. One grabbed her arms, so Hilary kicked at him, hitting him once in the stomach and once in his testicles. That one let go of her but the other guard grabbed her around her waist.

"Let go of me!" she yelled.

While struggling, she noticed her hands were still free so she made a fist and swung her right arm up and around, hitting the guard in the side of his face. His hold on her loosened and she moved to manually remove his hands from her waist. Just as Hilary was about to make a run for it, the first guard pointed a gun in her face. He had his hand on the trigger in preparation to fire. Hilary stopped cold. The second guard grabbed her arms from behind and led her over to Boris. This time, she didn't struggle.

Boris smiled at her submissive demeanor. "Well Hilary, I must admit that I'm impressed. You're quite the feisty one. Only the Demolition boys have been able to defeat my guards in any situation. Now you have two choices. You can continue this fruitless struggle and die right here, or you can do as I say and possibly escape this building with your life. Which do you choose?"

Hilary thought hard about it. She didn't like either option. If she died, the others (especially Tyson) would feel the need to avenge her death and would put themselves at enormous risk. If she did was Boris wanted, her life and the lives of the others would be spared, but the world would be in terrible danger. Neither outcome was appealing, but she had to choose.

She sighed in defeat. Her loved ones were more important. She knew what the choice had to be.

"I'll do as you say on one condition. If I release Black Dranzer, you agree to let my friends go and promise that no harm will come to them."

"You're not really in a position to be negotiating, my dear," Boris said.

"It's either that, or kill me off and have your plan thwarted," she said firmly.

He glared at Hilary. Even in her current situation, she was still trying to maintain control. But he had no other option. "Fine, it's a deal."

The guard released her and Boris took out a remote control with two buttons, one at the top and one at the bottom. He pressed the top button and the protective glass around Black Dranzer lifted up.

Hilary slowly walked up to the beyblade. She looked at the bit chip depicting the dark phoenix. Hilary reached her hand out and put it over the bit chip but hesitated in touching it.

_This could be the biggest mistake of my life. Maybe it would be better to die trying to escape rather than to let this twisted bastard have his way._

"Hilary, what is taking so long?" Boris asked impatiently. "Remember, your friends remain alive only if you hold up your end of the bargain."

That eliminated any second thoughts she may have had. Hilary steeled herself and placed her hand on Black Dranzer's bit-chip. The beyblade crackled with energy and the first thing Hilary felt was the sensation of being electrocuted. It spread throughout her body and she screamed in agony. She tried to pull her hand away but an invisible force held it in place. Tears filled Hilary's eyes as she continued to endure the pain which now included burning as if by fire in addition to electrocution. The bit-chip began to glow black and a beam of black light shot up into the sky.

Once the light dissipated, the pain stopped and Hilary slowly removed her hand. Her vision was blurred, but she could tell that the bit-chip no longer had Black Dranzer's image on it. The process had been completed. Black Dranzer, the dark Bit-Beast, was free. The last thing that filled Hilary's senses before she succumbed to unconsciousness was the cry of a phoenix…

* * *

Tala and the others were running as fast as possible to get to Black Dranzer's chamber. They had heard what sounded like Hilary screaming. Tala saw the doorway where he found Hilary and sprinted, hoping they weren't too late. Before he could get to the door however, the ground began to shake.

"What's going on?" Mariah asked.

"I don't know. Get on the ground quickly!" Tala said.

Everyone hit the ground until the mini-earthquake stopped.

"What was that about?" Michael asked.

"I have no idea," Tala said. _But hopefully it's not what I think it is…_

Unfortunately, his hopes were not to be realized. Before the group could get started again, they all heard something that made them freeze: the unmistakable sound of a phoenix.

"He's done it," Tala whispered fearfully. "Boris has freed the dark phoenix…"


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, here's chapter seven! For those of you who have been patiently waiting for an update, I thank you for taking such an interest in this story. I hope you all like it. By the way, this is the first time that an actual beybattle takes place in the story, so I'd like feedback on how I did with the battle scenes. Read & Review!

* * *

Tala seemed to be frozen in shock. The others were calling his name, but he didn't register any of it. That is, until he felt a very painful sting on his cheek.

"Snap out of it Tala!" Mariam shouted.

Suddenly, he remembered what Hilary had said to him. _"If Black Dranzer is freed, get out immediately"_

Tala turned to the group. "We need to get out of here now! Black Dranzer's out of its blade and there's no telling when it'll attack the building."

"What?! I'm not going anywhere without Hilary!" Tyson said.

"Tyson, Hilary was the one that told me that if Black Dranzer was freed, to get the rest of you out! She didn't want any of her friends to put themselves in danger for her sake."

"The rest of you can go on, but I'm not leaving Hilary behind," Tyson said. "Tala, tell me which of these rooms she's in and I'll get her myself."

He pointed to Black Dranzer's chamber and Tyson was off.

"Everyone else, let's go!" Tala commanded.

* * *

Tyson swung the door open and the scene before him made his blood run cold. A guard was holding Hilary in his arms with Boris standing beside him. Hilary was obviously unconscious, but that wasn't what caught Tyson's attention. She had clear burn marks all over her face and all along her arms which meant that she probably had them on the rest of her body too.

"Hello world champion," Boris said. He had a victorious smirk on his face. "I'm sorry to inform you that you're too late. Black Dranzer has been freed and it's all thanks to your friend here, although I'm afraid the actual process has left her incapacitated, as you can see."

None of what Boris was saying was getting through to Tyson's brain. The only thing he was aware of was shock quickly being replaced by blinding rage. Then the last part of Boris's monologue clicked in. He had said "incapacitated", not "deceased" or "dead". That meant that Hilary was still alive, just knocked out. This information calmed him down…slightly…and for about five seconds until he realized that somehow, the girl that he loved had been hurt badly either directly or indirectly by Boris, and this fueled his rage anew.

Tyson turned to Boris with a facial expression so full of anger and hatred, it bordered on insanity. The scientist, normally calm and confident, looked truly frightened of the young man for the first time.

"What did you DO TO HER?!" Tyson snarled the words more than spoke them.

Boris was so startled by the ferocity of the question that he didn't respond right way and this only served to further enrage Tyson.

"ANSWER ME!" he roared.

"I did nothing. The ordeal of releasing Black Dranzer is what caused those injuries. And besides, I think your main concern should be getting out of here alive."

No sooner did the words leave his lips did the room begin to shake. They both heard the cry of Black Dranzer. Tyson turned his attention to the one he came for. He glared at Boris's guard who was still holding Hilary.

"Give her to me NOW!" he demanded

"Do as he says," Boris told the guard.

The man silently walked over to Tyson and handed Hilary to him. Giving Boris one last death glare, he ran out in the direction of the others.

* * *

Unfortunately, the group was already well ahead of him, so it didn't take long for Tyson to get lost. Fortunately for him (and Hilary), Tala had the foresight to go back and look for Tyson knowing that he probably wouldn't be able to follow the group. It took about ten minutes for the two to find each other.

"What happened to her?" Tala asked as looked at Hilary's unconscious form.

"She was hurt during the process of freeing Black Dranzer according to that slimeball Boris," Tyson answered.

"We can treat her once we're out of here. Come on."

Tala led the way and Tyson followed silently.

Tyson hadn't forgotten his earlier threat. He had sworn to kill Boris if he so much as _touched _Hilary. Seeing the burn marks on her body made him want to completely annihilate the son of a bitch, to the point where there was no physical trace left of him. Now however, Tyson only wanted to get Hilary out of the Abbey safely.

Tala glanced back at Tyson every so often to see that he was keeping up. He noticed that Tyson's expression shifted from anger to worry periodically and he was constantly looking down at Hilary, whispering things to her and nuzzling her neck. Tala actually felt sorry for him. Tyson seemed to truly care for the girl, maybe even love her.

_We'll get her better Tyson, I promise you.

* * *

_

The others were already outside the Abbey waiting for Tala, Tyson and Hilary. The sun was beginning to rise, giving some light for them to use to see.

"Why does Tyson seem to be so hell-bent on protecting Hilary?" Lee asked more to himself than to anyone in the group.

"He loves her, why else?" Ray said.

"How would you know?" Kevin asked.

"It's obvious in how he acts around her, especially now. Besides…I know the feeling," he said looking at Mariah.

Mariah could only blush at Ray's words

"I see…" Lee said, smiling at the two knowingly.

"Hey everyone!" a voice called out.

The others turned and saw Kenny and Emily running toward them.

"Hi guys," Eddy said.

"Are you two alright?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Emily said. She looked around and noticed there were some people missing. "Where are Tyson, Hilary and Tala?" she asked.

"Tyson refused to leave Hilary behind, so he went to get her out and then Tala, thinking Tyson might get lost, decided to go and look for the two of them," Hiro said.

"I hope they're okay," Kenny said.

"Guys, what's that?" Max asked while pointing to the sky.

Everyone looked up and saw a huge black bird flying overhead.

"I think it's…Black Dranzer," Kenny said.

"So Boris wasn't kidding when he said he would free Black Dranzer," Kai said.

The black phoenix circled around and flew toward the group.

"It's flying straight at us!" Mariam said, looking scared for the first time in the whole ordeal.

Black Dranzer opened its mouth and shot a giant fireball at them. Everyone scattered and the attack hit right where they had previously been standing. A wall of black fire prevented them from reaching each other.

"Why is it attacking us?" Kenny asked.

"It's drawn to our Bit-Beasts," Kai said.

Black Dranzer swooped down and landed in front of the frazzled group.

"Well if it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he gets!" Michael said, taking out his launcher

"Hold it Michael, let me get rid of this fire," Max said.

He got out Draciel and launched immediately. "Now Draciel, Heavy Tidal Wave!"

Draciel was surrounded in water and as it sped toward the fire, the water shot up and formed a wall that got higher until it towered over the black flames. The small tidal wave crashed into the fire attack, putting out the flames almost instantly. Max called the beyblade back to him.

"Alright, go Trygle!"

He launched the beyblade and summoned Trygle immediately. The gigantic golden bird rose up to challenge Black Dranzer.

"Super Cannon attack!" Michael called out.

Trygle opened its mouth and a red beam of energy raced toward the phoenix. Black Dranzer merely flew up to avoid the attack. Black Dranzer opened its mouth and blasted a stream of black fire at Trygle. The Bit-Beast covered itself with its wings to try to defend against the attack, but to no avail. Trygle disappeared, defeated, and the beyblade stopped spinning.

Suddenly, Trygle 2 began to glow and a golden beam of light emanated from the bit-chip and went south-west.

"Oh no, Trygle!" Michael ran over to his beyblade and looked with horror at the now blank bit-chip.

"Trygle lost, so now it's gone," Kai said.

Black Dranzer landed again ready to face its next opponent

"Nobody makes a fool out of the All-Stars!" Emily declared. "Come on guys, we'll attack it together!"

Emily, Rick and Eddy all launched at the same time.

"Trygator!"

"Trypio!"

"Rock Bison!"

All three beyblades spun toward Black Dranzer and their Bit-Beasts appeared.

"All right, Eddy, you and I will attack from the sides while Rick goes for a frontal assault."

"Right!" Eddy said.

Trygator went to the right and Trypio went to the left.

"Trypio, Scorpio Sting!"

The scorpion-like Bit-Beast charged, bearing its pincers. The phoenix started to fly to avoid it but Trypio managed to grab its tail and pull it back down. Black Dranzer cried out in pain.

"Trygator, Alligator's Bite attack!"

The armored alligator leaped up and bit Black Dranzer in its wing.

"Now Rock Bison, Drop Rock attack!"

As Rock Bison prepared its attack, Black Dranzer turned and shot several fireballs at Trypio and it was overcome. It then shook free from Trygator's grip and flew away just before the Drop Rock attack hit. Trypio 2 glowed and just like Trygle, its Bit-Beast was taken and the bit-chip was left blank.

"Trypio no!" Eddy screamed.

Black Dranzer, still in the air, cried out. Its wings became covered in black fire.

"What's it doing?" Emily asked, with a trace of alarm in her voice.

The phoenix cried out again and dove at Trygator, hitting the alligator with its wings. Trygator 2 was knocked back. Black Dranzer continued this pattern of attack until the beyblade eventually stopped spinning. Soon after, Trygator was gone as well.

"This can't be happening!" Emily screamed.

"Rick, call off your attack now!" Michael said.

"No! I can take him!" Rick countered.

"Rick, do you want Rock Bison to be taken too? Call him back!" Michael ordered.

"Damn it!" Rick muttered. He called Rock Bison back to his hand.

"What do we do now?" Mariah asked, looking up at Black Dranzer fearfully.

"We get the hell out of here!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Tala, Tyson and Hilary are still inside. We can't leave them!" Max said.

"Besides, how exactly are we supposed to get away? The plane is gone and we have no other mode of transportation," Ray said.

"Not quite Ray," a familiar voice said.

Everyone looked up and saw Mr. Dickenson standing in the door of what appeared to be a jet plane. It landed on the road just off the Abbey grounds.

"Mr. Dickenson! Wow, talk about perfect timing!" Max said happily.

"Come in quickly!" he said.

The group ran toward the jet and all got on as fast as possible.

"Wait a minute! Tyson, Hilary and Tala are still in the Abbey!" Kenny said.

"What?"

"Tala went back in to get them and they haven't come out yet," Hiro explained.

"Well I'm sorry, but we can't wait for them. Black Dranzer could attack at any minute."

"But-" Max started.

"I'm sorry Max, but if Black Dranzer attacks, none of us may get out alive," Mr. Dickenson said.

"Hey, look!" Daichi said pointing to the Abbey.

Tala was running toward the jet with Tyson not far behind.

"Wait for us!" Tyson called out.

"Hurry guys!" Ray called back.

The three got on just as the jet was getting ready to take off. Once it was in the sky, Black Dranzer attempted to follow for a distance, but the jet was too fast. Everyone gave a collective sigh of relief once Black Dranzer was out of sight.

"Okay, we got away, but what are going to do about Black Dranzer? Three Bit-Beasts are gone," Lee said.

"The only way to release them is to defeat Black Dranzer in battle," Tala said.

"We've tried that. It's too strong!" Emily exclaimed.

"There has to be a way. If it can be damaged, it can be defeated," Ozuma said.

"But how?" Mariah asked.

"I don't know yet," Tala said.

"Well we have to find out soon," Kai said. "If we don't, every Bit-Beast in the world could be sealed away forever…"


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! This is the eighth chapter. Unfortunately, I ran out of ideas so I ended this chapter early. I hope you can overlook that and still like it. Read & Review!

* * *

The G-Revolutions (minus Tyson and Hilary), the White Tigers, and the Saint Shields (as well as Tala) were all back at the Granger dojo. The All-Starz (minus Max) had been dropped off in New York and with the detour it took a day and a half for the rest of them to return to Japan. Hilary had immediately been taken to the hospital to get treatment for her burns and Tyson had refused to leave her side until she woke up. The doctors said that it could be as much as a week before she was fully recovered, at least five days.

"Kenny, what are you doing?" Ray asked when he saw Kenny typing on his laptop.

"Emily and I exchanged e-mail addresses. I'm trying my best to comfort her since she lost Trygator," he answered.

"Everyone could lose their bit-beasts if we don't do something," Max said sadly.

"Guys, you need to see this!" Daichi said, ushering them over to the TV.

"The top story today is a gigantic black bird that has been seen flying over parts of Russia challenging bladers and taking the bit-beasts of every player it defeats. Here is chairman of the BBA, Mr. Dickenson to better explain the situation."

The screen switched to Mr. Dickenson.

"This is a dark day in the beyblade world. The large black bird that many have witnessed in Russia is known as Black Dranzer, an evil bit-beast whose sole purpose is to defeat every opponent it comes across. It is targeting players with bit-beasts because they are the ones that could possibly pose a challenge to its power. We've dealt with this problem once before, but not in this capacity. Now the dark phoenix is free of its beyblade and can go around the world. If it is not stopped, I fear Boris may finally have found a way to achieve his twisted dream of world domination."

The screen went back to the reporter.

"We still do not know how Black Dranzer was released or who released it. Although the BBA suspects Boris Balkov's involvement, Boris himself has denied freeing the bit-beast. We will bring you updates on this story as we get them."

Kai turned the TV off.

"If the media finds out that Hilary released Black Dranzer, she's going to be demonized and because she's a member of the G-Revolutions, they're going to vilify the rest of the team too including Ray and Max since she was a former member of the Bladebreakers as well," he said.

"Why would they say anything bad about Hilary? The Bladebreakers are still known worldwide and so are the G-Revolutions now, and they know nobody from either of those teams would do anything intentionally evil," Mariah said. "Hilary didn't want to release Black Dranzer, she had no choice. Boris probably threatened to kill her if she didn't."

"Even so, this is a potentially global crisis that we're dealing with, and people are going to look for someone to blame," Kai countered.

"We can't let that happen," Mariam said. "Hilary has had more than enough to deal with in the past couple of days and the last thing she needs is to be under public scrutiny for something that wasn't even her fault."

"Not to mention the fact that Tyson is under a tremendous amount of emotional stress," Ozuma added. "He almost lost one of his best friends and if the tabloids start dragging Hilary's name through the mud, his first instinct is going to be to defend her and he's nearly burnt out already. He could end up in the hospital due to emotional exhaustion."

"We're in a real bind here guys," Hiro said. "We still don't have a way to defeat Black Dranzer, and since Tyson won't leave Hilary, we've temporarily lost the strongest member of our team."

"It's just as well," Kai said. "With Tyson so worried about her, he won't be able to beyblade at his best."

"We can't just sit around here! The longer we wait, the more damage Black Dranzer can do!" Lee said angrily.

"We have to come up with some sort of plan Lee," Ray told him. "If we go in blindly, we could end up losing our bit-beasts too."

* * *

Tyson sat outside Hilary's hospital room. He hadn't been allowed in yet and she had been in there for nearly twenty-four hours. Tyson hadn't slept and he had barely eaten.

_Her injuries must have been severe if she's going to be here another four days._

Anger welled up inside him again at the thought of the one who had caused her so much pain.

_When I get my hands on that son of a bitch, he's going to wish he had never met me. What he's done is unforgivable. Not only did he unleash a terrible monster upon the world, but he put an innocent person's life at risk to do it._

The doctor and nurse who had been working on Hilary walked out.

"Um excuse me," he said to them.

"Oh you're Tyson, the boy who brought Hilary to us," the doctor said.

"Yes. If you're done in there, could I see her now?" he asked.

"I suppose so. But make it quick."

Tyson nodded his understanding and went inside. When he saw Hilary, it was a relief to see that she wasn't hooked to any sort of machinery, so he knew that her burns weren't life threatening. She had her face and arms bandaged up so he guessed that the rest of her was too.

Tyson stared at her for a few moments more and then whispered three words that he had never said to her before, despite the fact that they had been a couple for nearly two years.

"I love you…"

He sighed and then walked out, praying that she would be healed soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 is up. Enjoy.

* * *

It had been a week since the release of Black Dranzer and now the G-Revolutions, the White Tigers and the Saint Shields were in Mr. Dickenson's office. His news pertained most importantly to The White Tigers, but he asked for all of them to be there.

"Thank you all for coming. Now, I'm sure you've all heard the news reports of Black Dranzer by now. Well, the situation has gotten worse I'm afraid. It's been spotted in China and it's headed for the White Tiger village."

"What? We have to get over there!" Lee exclaimed.

"I understand your concern. That is why I've arranged for my private jet to fly you over there as fast as possible. I'm sure you're aware of the danger Black Dranzer poses."

"I'm going too!" Ray said.

"No Ray, you must stay with the G-Revolutions. I know your village is important to you, but if all else fails, the Bladebreakers are our last line of defense," Mr. Dickenson told him. "Now as for the rest of you, Judy has contacted me about what happened to the All-Starz. Most of the Abbey's security cameras weren't working at the time of the incident, and so much of the battle is unavailable for analysis. However, from the description given to her by her team, she has been working on a counter-strategy to combat Black Dranzer. I will alert you when I have the full details."

Lee, Mariah, Gary and Kevin ran out, headed toward the airport. To everyone's surprise, Tyson ran out right after them. Max got up and chased after him.

"Tyson, where are you going?" he asked.

Tyson turned around and gave a wry smile. "I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. Where have I been spending most of my time for the past five days?"

Max smiled. "You're really dedicated to her, aren't you?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on. "Look, why don't I come visit with you? Me and the others have been so wrapped up in this Black Dranzer business, we've barely seen Hilary at all."

"Alright, sure."

"In fact, I'll get the others to come too. Hold on."

Max ran back to the others.

"Where's Tyson going, Max?" Daichi asked.

"Guess," he said smiling.

"Hilary?" Hiro asked knowingly with a smile of his own.

"Bingo! I'm going with him and I was hoping that you guys would come and visit too."

"Oh why not? It'll be a break from all the chaos that's going on and besides, I'm anxious to see how much she's improved," Ray said.

"Great! Let's go!"

* * *

Tyson, Max, Ray, Hiro, Kenny, and Kai were in the waiting room. Apparently, the doctors were removing Hilary's bandages today, this time for good so they had to wait outside. Tyson kept fidgeting in his chair, anxious to see her face. This constant movement was beginning to annoy Kai so he decided to put a stop to it.

"Tyson, I realize you're eager to see Hilary, but your constant fidgeting is starting to wear on my nerves so if you can't sit still on your own, I'll strap you down and make you be still."

Tyson glared at his teammate, but tried to stop moving as you couldn't take any chances when it came to Kai's threats.

A doctor came out after about half an hour. "You must be Hilary's friends. Her bandages have been removed and you can see her now."

Tyson was running for the door as soon the doctor had finished his sentence.

"Tyson, wait up!" Max said.

Tyson burst through the door and saw…Hilary apparently asleep. He went up to her slowly and looked at her face. He grinned from ear to ear when he saw that the burn marks that had previously covered her were almost completely gone.

The others slowly came in and went up to her bed. Smiles broke out on everyone when they saw her condition.

"If you didn't know better, you'd say that she never got burned in the first place!" Max said.

"Yeah, she looks almost exactly like she did before any of this happened," Ray added.

Hilary's face began to contort into an expression of confusion and her eyes fluttered open. The first person she saw was her boyfriend and she smiled.

"Hey Tyson. Glad to see you," she said softly.

Tyson was looking down and his bangs were covering his eyes.

She looked over and saw the rest of the team looking down at her and smiling.

"You're all here. Thank you everyone."

"Hey, you're our friend. We're always gonna be here for you," Max said.

"Pardon me if this seems forward, but you look great!" Ray said.

She blushed. "Thanks."

"I'm glad to see you're doing better," Kai said.

She nodded her thanks. "My arms still feel kind of weak. Could you help me sit up?" she asked.

"Of course," Ray said.

Ray took her right arm while Kai supported her back and they gently lifted her into a sitting position.

Hilary looked over at Tyson again and he still hadn't met her eyes. "Tyson, is something wrong?" she asked.

He looked up at her and the reason for his avoidance became clear. He didn't want her to see the tears in his eyes. The next thing Hilary knew, she was being pulled into a tight hug by Tyson.

"You're okay…" he whispered as if hesitant to believe it.

"I guess so," she said.

"Guys, I think they need their privacy. We should go," Hiro said. The rest of them nodded and walked out.

After they pulled apart, Tyson looked away from her again, this time with an ashamed look on his face.

"Tyson, what's wrong?" Hilary asked worriedly.

"I broke my promise. I said I'd protect you and instead you get captured and almost killed. I don't deserve to even be your friend, let alone your boyfriend."

She turned his face to look at her. "Tyson, you did the best you could. There was nothing anyone could've done to stop the situation from happening. I don't blame you for what happened, I blame that scumbag Boris."

"I'll make him pay for what he did to you."

"Tyson, don't go out of your way to get revenge for my sake. He'll get his comeuppance, I guarantee you."

"But I feel like I need to do something! He hurt you!"

"All you need to do is stop him and Black Dranzer. That'll be more than enough revenge for me."

"Hilary…I need to say this, because I realize now that if I don't, I may not get another chance. I should've told you a long time ago. I love you Hilary and I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

She smiled at him. "I know and I love you too," she said.

His eyes widened in shock. "You knew?"

She laughed lightly. "Tyson, you've done things for me that no one has, and you shown how much you care for me every single day. You have a wonderful heart and I'm so lucky to have you."

Tyson leaned in and kissed her like he had many times before, but this one was filled with more passion and longing than ever before. He buried his face in her hair, whispering "I love you" repeatedly as if trying to make up for not saying it before. They eventually pulled apart.

"Does this mean you can leave now?" Tyson asked.

"I don't know. The doctor hasn't said yet," Hilary answered.

Just then, a nurse came in. "Hilary, I just received word that you'll be here for another day so your body can fully recover."

"Alright." She turned to Tyson. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be here first thing in the morning," he said.

He kissed her forehead, said "I love you" one last time, and then walked out.


	10. Chapter 10

Here's chapter 10 finally! I'm sorry it took so long. I had college business to take care of and that delayed the writing of this chapter. Anyway, I hope you like it. Read & Review!

* * *

The White Tigers landed just outside their village. They ran up to the village elder, Lee's grandfather.

"Sir, has Black Dranzer appeared yet?" Lee said.

"I'm afraid I don't know what it is you're talking about," he said.

"It's an enormous black phoenix that goes around taking bit-beasts and it's headed for the village." Mariah said.

"I see…I will make sure the villagers stay inside. I assume you are here to combat this beast."

"Right," Lee said. "Everyone, let's go to the village entrance so we can keep Black Dranzer from doing any damage."

His team nodded and followed him. They were looking up in the sky trying to spot any trace of the dark phoenix. Eventually, they saw it flying right toward them. It landed right in front of them and let out a battle cry.

"Alright, if we can stop it here, we can end this for good!" Lee said.

"Right. Let's attack together so we can mount a full assault," Mariah said.

The White Tigers all launched their blades at the same time and called out their bit-beasts.

"Alright, Kevin, you're up!" Lee said.

"Right! Galman, Illusion Confusion!" he called.

The white horned monkey started jumping leaping around faster and faster until it created after-images of itself, leaving for Black Dranzer disoriented, and then Galman punched it right in the chest.

"Now everyone attack!" Lee shouted.

"Galux, Mountain Cat attack!" Mariah shouted.

"Galeon, Spiral Lightning attack!" Lee yelled.

Glaux leapt at the phoenix trying to knock it over. Black Dranzer bit the cat with its beak. Galux jumped off and Galeon, which had been charging electricity in its mane, fired an electric blast in the shape of a spiral from its mouth. Black Dranzer took the full brunt of the attack. There was a small explosion and when the smoke cleared, the team saw Black Drazer cry out in agony and then fall to the ground.

"Is it over?" Mariah asked hopefully.

"I don't know…" Lee answered.

* * *

The G-Revolutions (plus Max and Ray) were all training with the Saint Shields, preparing themselves in case the White Tigers failed. Ray seemed to be distracted and consequently he was having trouble keeping up with his teammates.

Hiro noticed Ray's drop in performance and decided to stop the training session.

"Alright, take five guys," he said. "Ray, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure Hiro," he said.

They walked inside the dojo and closed the door.

"Ray, you're not concentrating like normal. What's on your mind?"

Ray sighed. "I'm just worried about the village. Black Dranzer is incredibly strong and I'm not sure if the rest of the team has the strength to defeat it."

"I understand that. Hopefully, they don't fail, but if they do, you have to be at your best to stop Black Dranzer, otherwise everyone will suffer the same fate. Try to block it from your mind and just concentrate on getting stronger."

"I guess you're right."

* * *

Black Dranzer seemed to be vanquished, but almost as soon as it hit the ground, its eyes opened and the huge bird began lifting itself up. Once it was upright, Black Dranzer flew up out of reach of their attacks.

"I should've known that it wouldn't be that easy," Lee muttered.

The phoenix opened its mouth and a stream of black fire raced toward the bit-beasts.

"Dodge it!" They all said.

All four beyblades circled back and spun around the attack.

"How are we going to land a blow when it's in the air?" Kevin asked.

"I'll take care of that," Lee said. "Galeon, go around to its back!"

Galeon 2 spun around until it was behind Black Dranzer.

"Spiral Lightning!"

Another electric spiral hurled towards the bird. Black Dranzer was hit in the back and hit the ground, though it was still standing. It whirled around and shot a fireball toward Galeon.

"Dodge it Galeon!" Lee called out.

Seeing an opening, Mariah called for the others to attack. Galux used its Cat's Bite attack while Galman and Galzzy simply used physical strikes. Black Dranzer was once again off its feet, but it didn't stay there for long. It faced the White Tigers and its eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Uh Lee, it looks mad…" Kevin said with a trace of fear in his voice.

"Stand your ground everyone! Don't let that overgrown bird intimidate you," Lee said.

Black Dranzer flew into the air again and let out an angry cry. Its wings were then covered in black fire.

"Alright guys, its going to dive at us, so be ready," Lee told his team.

However, something unexpected happened. The flames continued to spread until they covered all of Black Dranzer's body with the exception of its head.

"What the heck is it doing?" Mariah asked.

She soon got her answer. Black Dranzer did indeed dive down and it looked like it would attack their bit-beasts directly. However, about halfway through, the phoenix righted itself and flew straight over them and then went up again. Turning around, Black Dranzer stared down at the surprised teens. It opened its mouth again and inhaled deeply. The White Tigers watched in shock and horror as the flames began to crawl away and go toward Black Dranzer's hair. Once it was all collected, the phoenix let it out in a gigantic blast of black fire aimed at its four opponents and right in the path of Lee, Mariah, Kevin and Gary.

"Get out of the way!" Lee shouted.

They sprinted away and, once at a safe distance, turned around. The attack continued heading for their bit-beasts and just before it hit, the blast transformed and took the shape of a phoenix. An enormous fireball enveloped the four bit-beasts. Cries of pain erupted from the spirits and they dissipated, going back into their blades and the four beyblades stopped spinning. The fireball suddenly disappeared and Black Dranzer flew away, over the village and out of sight.

Galeon, Galux, Galman and Galzzy all began to glow and four beams of light came out heading west. The White Tigers slowly walked up to their beyblades, now charred almost beyond recognition.

"Not only are our bit-beasts gone, but our beyblades are toast, literally," Mariah said mournfully.

"Well, at least the village is safe," Kevin said, though there was no joy in his voice.

"Come on, let's go tell the elder what happened and see if we can salvage our beyblades," Lee said.

The team trudged back toward their village, wondering if there was anything that could stop Black Dranzer.

* * *

The others didn't hear about what had transpired until late the next day. Hilary had been let out of the hospital in the morning.

"I can't believe it," Max said. "I mean I knew it was a possibility, but I still can't believe it."

"I knew this would happen. Even the White Tigers don't have the sheer power it would take to defeat Black Dranzer," Kai said.

"Well then Mr. Pessimist, who does?" Tyson asked, clearly frustrated.

"If I knew the answer, Black Dranzer would be gone already," he answered, glaring at Tyson.

"Both of you calm down!" Hiro said sternly. "This is why we've been training so hard, in preparation for something like this."

Suddenly, Hilary spoke up. "Since the White Tigers were defeated, you're the only ones left who can stop it. We can't afford to be fighting. If we're going to defeat Black Dranzer, this team has to be united."

"She's right," Tala said. "Your morale affects your beyblading, and you have to be on one accord if you want to be at your best."

"The same goes for us guys," Mariam told the other Saint Shields. "We have to stay focused."

"Where do you think Black Dranzer will show up next?" Daichi asked.

"I have no idea," Tala said.

"Well, wherever it is, we have to make sure that we're ready," Hiro said.


	11. Chapter 11

Here's chapter 11. It's re-uploaded because of a mistake. I'm a perfectionist, so when I see a mistake, I have to correct it.

* * *

There hadn't been any news of Black Dranzer for almost a week and the team was taking full advantage of the peace and quiet. They still trained of course, but not to the same degree as before. Kenny and Emily still kept in regular contact and Ray had begun communicating with Mariah (and the other White Tigers) through letters. Max and Mariam had even gone out on a date, but neither had announced that they were an official couple yet.

Tyson and Hilary's relationship was relatively the same, though ever since Hilary had been released from the hospital, Tyson had been more protective of her than usual (if possible) and more affectionate. Kai and Tala seemed to have gotten a little closer as well. They were frequently seen together, talking about random subjects and Kai acted warmer towards his teammates (on occasion).

Max was currently fixing something to eat when he heard the phone ring. Picking it up, he heard his mother's voice on the other end.

"Hey mom!" he said cheerfully.

"Hi Max. Listen, there's something you need to know. It's about Black Dranzer."

"What about it? Nothing's been in the news for a while now."

"That's what I want to talk about. I've been doing a lot of research on Black Dranzer and I think I know why it hasn't been seen lately. Since it's no longer inside of its beyblade, it's no longer in spirit form. From what Mr. Dickenson told me, the White Tigers were able to seriously damage Black Dranzer before they were defeated and since it's capable of being damaged in the real world now, I think that Black Dranzer has gone into hiding to heal itself."

"Wow. But if that's true, it'll be back to full strength eventually."

"I know and I think I have an idea on how to defeat him for good. I can't say anymore. Mr. Dickenson has the details and he should contact you soon. Bye honey."

"Bye mom."

* * *

Later that same day, everyone was once again in Mr. Dickenson's office.

"Hello everyone. I understand that Judy has informed you of the situation with Black Dranzer."

"So what's this new strategy she's come with?" Ozuma asked.

"You know that Black Dranzer is no longer confined to its beyblade which gives it complete freedom to roam around. Judy believes that this ability gives Black Dranzer an advantage over any bit-beast that tries to challenge it."

"In what way?" Max asked.

"All bit-beasts in our world as far as we know are confined to some object and therefore can only move with the help of a human. In the case of beyblades they have more freedom when they are called upon by the blader, but still they are restricted by what the balder commands their beyblade to do. Black Dranzer is the only exception to this rule and does not suffer from such limitations."

"So you're saying that if the Bladebreakers and the Saint Shields release their bit-beasts from their beyblades, they can have the same freedom to move around as Black Dranzer," Hilary said.

"Exactly."

"But according to what Hilary and I read, if we release the bit-beasts, they'll return to their own world or just wander around. They'll no longer be under our control," Kenny said.

"Wait a minute Kenny, the article said in order for the bit-beasts to even be released, they have to have a very strong bond with the blader," Hilary told him. "I would think that if it were necessary, the bit-beasts would still fight with their partners."

"But we don't know that for sure and with the situation the way it is, we can't afford to take a risk like that," Hiro said.

"Well then, we have to find out and fast," Tala said. "We don't know when Black Dranzer will reappear again and we can't go in without a plan."

"I already know the answer," Kenny said. "The only time one would release a bit-beast is if they want to end the relationship which would mean that once it's happened, that human no longer has any ties to the spirit."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that…" Hilary muttered, feeling foolish.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Mariam asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer," Mr. Dickenson said.

"Maybe there is one thing," Ozuma said. "The chief of our village knows all the legends of the sacred spirits. Maybe there's something that explains what happens when a spirit and its partner sever their bond."

"That's right!" Joseph said.

"But the old village is in Romania," Dunga said. "What if Black Dranzer comes out while we're over there?"

"It's a chance we have to take," Kai said.

"I'll arrange for you to leave in two days. I wish you all luck," Mr. Dickenson said.

* * *

When they got back to the dojo, Hilary stopped at the gate while everyone else went inside. Once everyone was inside the dojo, she turned and started toward her own house. No one noticed her leaving.

* * *

Later that evening, there as a knock at the Tatibana residence. Hilary's mother answered the door. Tyson, Ray, Max, Kenny and Kai were there.

"Oh hello everyone. I assume that you're here to see Hilary. She's up in her room."

"Thanks," Tyson said.

The five went up and found Hilary lying on her bed, though she was clearly awake.

"Hil, is anything wrong? Why you'd leave without telling us?" Tyson asked.

Hilary sighed and pulled herself into a sitting position. She turned to face her friends.

"I'm not going," she said flatly.

"What?" Tyson asked, not sure what she was talking about.

"Look, I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm not going," Hilary repeated.

"Going where?" Kenny asked, just as confused.

"You're all going to Romania to find this village elder, aren't you? I'm not going with you."

"What are you talking about? Of course you're going," Tyson said.

"No Tyson, I'm not. I went on a mission with you not too long ago, and look what happened. My presence put me and everyone else in danger and culminated in the release of Black Dranzer. I'm not taking that risk again."

"Hilary, you said yourself that there was nothing anyone could do to stop it from happening," Tyson said.

"Yes, and that's true. I had no way of knowing that he was after me until it was too late. Now that I know, I'm not putting myself in that situation again. I'm not putting all of you in that situation again. Besides, you don't really need me. You're the ones who do the fighting; I'm just on the sidelines. It's not that I don't think of my role as important, but in this case, it would better if I stayed behind."

"Maybe she's right," Kai said. "After all, Boris might still consider her a target and if so, going with us would put her in danger again."

"Boris has no idea about what we're doing though," Ray said. "Black Dranzer is out of commission for now so her going with us would be safe."

"But we don't know how long it'll stay dormant," Hilary countered. "If it attacks, we'd all still be in danger and I'm the one who released it so I might be targeted. I just don't want to take any chances."

"If that's your choice, then okay," Max said. "We just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine."

"I guess we'll see you later," Kenny said.

Tyson still looked upset, but left with the others.


	12. Chapter 12

Here's chapter twelve. I decided to keep Hilary in Japan. You'll know why at the end of the chapter. I hope you like it. Read and Review!

* * *

The next day in the early evening, Hilary came over to find everyone getting in some last minute training. It came as no surprise considering Black Dranzer could reappear at any time. She didn't see Tyson so she went inside the dojo and sat down in a corner. Hilary was actually hoping to avoid her boyfriend since she was certain that he would try to persuade her into going to Romania with them. However, fate was never one to be kind, and seeing Tyson walk in from the kitchen only reinforced that fact in Hilary's mind.

He was nearly outside before he noticed her and Hilary averted her gaze from him, silently cursing her luck. Tyson walked over sat down next to her.

"Hey Hil, I haven't seen you all day. What are you doing sitting in here by yourself?" he asked.

Hilary hesitated, wondering how to answer. _Don't lie. Just tell him why you're here and hope he doesn't ask_

"I just came to say goodbye to everyone since you'll be leaving tomorrow," she told him.

"Oh. Well, we're almost done training, so if you wait a little while, they'll be inside."

"Alright. Since you're here already, I just wanna wish you good luck. Be careful and don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Hil, I can't do that and you know it. Since you'll be staying here, I'm naturally going to be wondering how you're doing and if something happens, I won't know and I can't help you."

"Tyson, I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself. I know you want to protect me, but you can't be there all the time."

He sighed and turned to her with a look of sad acceptance. "I know."

Seeing that he was still uneasy, Hilary leaned in and kissed him. It was short, but after she pulled away, she could see that Tyson had relaxed.

She smiled and said, "You just concentrate on getting the information you need to beat Black Dranzer. I'll be alright here."

Tyson grinned despite himself. "Okay."

"I guess I'll tell the others and then get back home."

Hilary stood up and moved toward the door, but Tyson got up and grabbed her wrist before she could go outside. As soon as she turned to face him, Tyson crushed his lips against hers. Hilary was surprised at first, but kissed back. There was a difference in the feel of this kiss. While Hilary's was short and chaste, this one was deep and needy. It was Tyson's way of telling her goodbye. He didn't pull away until he felt his lungs began to cry out for air.

"I love you," he breathed.

"I love you too," Hilary whispered.

"I think you both need to get a room," a voice said.

Hilary turned around and both saw Daichi standing by the door.

"If you're going to suck face, do it where I can't see it," he said.

"Oh shut up," Tyson said.

"Look Daichi, the only reason I'm here is to tell everyone goodbye since I won't be going with the rest of you," Hilary said.

"If that was your way of saying goodbye, I want no part of it."

Hilary's eyes narrowed. "No, that was my way of telling him goodbye. This is my way of telling _you _goodbye."

She walked up to him and kicked him in his private parts. Daichi doubled over in pain and Hilary smirked.

"Goodbye," she said with a false sweetness as she walked out the door.

Everyone else had already finished training and they were just getting ready to come inside.

"Hi everyone," she said in order to get their attention.

"Hey Hilary," Ray said.

"I was just about to leave and I wanted to say goodbye."

"Oh. Well, I wish you were going with us, but we understand," Max said.

"I'll miss you all. Good luck," she said.

"Thanks," Kenny said.

"I'll see you later."

Hilary smiled at all her friends one last time and walked off the dojo grounds, going toward her house.

* * *

The next morning, the G-Revolutions, the Saint Shields, Tala, Max and Ray were on another plane en-route to Romania. They had gotten up at four in the morning because the flight left at five-thirty.

Tyson sat by Kenny and both were quiet most of the time, as was the rest of the group. Once the plane landed, Ozuma took the lead and they ended up going through dense woods and a long, twisting tunnel before finally coming an enclosed, circular clearing. Huts were arranged in a semi-circular fashion.

"The chief of the village is at the other end of the clearing," Ozuma said.

They came upon the house of the chief and the Saint Shields went inside. After about twenty minutes, they came back out with the chief. He was tall, with tanned skin and straight white hair that went down to his shoulders.

"I will take you to the ancient rock. There I will give you the answers you seek. The rock is on a mountain sacred to this village. There is a tunnel leading to the mountain. Come."

The group went into another tunnel on the other side of the chief's house. This one was straight through and not as long. When they got out, there was small barren field with the mountain at the end. The mountain itself was huge and very tall.

"We have to climb that?" Daichi asked in disbelief.

"Yes, but not to the very top. There's a cave about halfway up with the rock inside," the chief said.

It took a few hours, but eventually, they reached the cave. The interior was large and the rock on a stone platform. It was flashing different colors.

"What's wrong with it?" Hiro asked.

"Because there are so many bit-beasts being sealed, the rock is trying to keep them all inside. The flashing will eventually stop," the chief said. He turned to face the group.

"While I have never heard of Black Dranzer before now, I can tell that it is very dangerous. Now that it is free, there is only one way to defeat it. You must release your own bit-beasts. I know you'll be able to. As to your question of keeping them under your control, there is no need to command them to fight. When a spirit senses a threat, its instinct is to fight. Therefore, your spirits will automatically combat Black Dranzer should it pose a danger."

"But what about after the fact? Once the fight is over, will the bit-beasts return to us?" Ray asked.

"You must have a very strong bond for their seal to be released. While a spirit is inclined to go back to its own world when released, if they have a powerful relationship with a human, it is possible that they will choose to stay on earth with that human. I cannot say for certain what the outcome will be. You just have to hope that the bond you share with your spirit is strong enough to keep you together."

"If it comes to that, how do we release our bit-beasts?" Kai asked.

"You must call upon your spirit partner with your mind and call on its name out loud. You then proclaim that it will be free from the object that holds it, whatever it may be. The seal will then be broken and your spirit will be free. After that, it is in the beasts' hands."

"Well, as long as Black Dranzer doesn't come out, we shouldn't need to do it for a while," Max said.

Just as those words passed Max's lips, they heard the familiar cry of the dark phoenix.

"Speak of the devil," Hiro said.

The group went outside just as Black Dranzer was landing.

"Looks like we have to test it out now," Tyson said.

"I'll do what I can with Wolborg," Tala said.

Everyone took out their beyblades, save Kenny and Hiro.

"Alright, exactly like we were told," Ozuma said.

Closing their eyes, each blader concentrated, willing their thoughts to reach their partners.

"Vortex Ape!"

"Vanishing Moot!"

"Sharkrash!"

"Flash Leopard!"

"Wolborg!"

"Driger!"

"Draciel!"

"Dranzer!"

"Strata Dragoon!"

"Dragoon!"

* * *

Boris looked at the pedestal where Black Dranzer once was, his normally calm façade now very troubled. He had let Hilary go under the assumption that there was nothing her friends could do to stop Black Dranzer. He was soon proved wrong when the dark phoenix returned severely damaged, apparently from a battle with the White Tigers.

_If the White Tigers can cause such damage to Black Dranzer, the four Sacred Beasts could ultimately defeat him._

Though he knew that Black Dranzer could be released again, Boris also knew that it would be incredibly risky. Hilary had put up a considerable struggle the first time and had almost gotten away. Tyson and the others would be on high alert now and trying to force Hilary into releasing Black Dranzer a second time could result in very dire consequences for him.

Spencer suddenly walked into the room.

"Sir, we have the report on the G-Revolutions whereabouts," he said.

Boris turned around. "What is their location?"

"Romania, sir."

"Understood. You are dismissed."

"Sir, there is one detail which you may find of interest. It appears that Hilary is not with them."

Boris raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Is that so? Do you know her location?"

"We are not certain, but we believe that she is most likely back in Japan, sir."

"I see. Thank you for the report. You may go now."

Boris smirked.

"Hilary is alone and defenseless while her friends are off in Romania. Perfect…"

* * *

There are a couple things I want to say about the next chapters. The very next chapter will be set in Japan with Hilary, and after that, it's the battle with Black Dranzer. Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

Here's the thirteenth chapter. I hope you all like it. There is a scene in here that leaves the chapter on a bit of a cliffhanger. You'll know what it is when you read it. Anyway, Read & Review!

* * *

Hilary woke up early as always, but she didn't feel refreshed like usual.

"I guess I've gotten so used to sleeping with Tyson that sleeping in my own bed actually feels foreign," she said to herself.

She got out of bed and took a quick shower before going to her closet to change clothes. She had gotten out of the habit of wearing skirts all the time. Hilary put on a pair of blue jeans, a white tank top and her red jacket.

Going down to the kitchen, Hilary saw her mother putting out a cereal bowl along with milk.

"Good morning honey," she said, smiling at her daughter.

"Morning mom."

"Hilary, was anything wrong last night? You usually sleep over at Tyson's house. Did something happen between you two?"

"Not really. Everyone left this morning and I went over yesterday to tell them goodbye. Tyson was a little upset that I wasn't going with him, so I decided to sleep here since my being around him would only make him more upset."

"I see. Where were they going?"

"Romania."

"Romania? What on earth would they be doing over there?"

"It's a long story. I don't want to talk about it."

"Would this have anything to do with that black bird that's been all over the news?"

Hilary looked surprised at the question.

Ms. Tatibana smiled. "You didn't think I knew did you?" she asked.

"In all honesty, no I didn't."

"I'm actually glad you didn't go with them. You put yourself in danger too often."

_You don't know the half of it _Hilary thought.

"Well, I suppose you should eat so you can be off to school," Ms. Tatibana said.

Hilary nodded and proceeded to eat her cereal. _I just hope no one else brings Black Dranzer up at school

* * *

_

_God must really not like me…_

When Hilary took her seat, she found the class talking in lowered voices. The content of their conversations consisted of two topics. The whereabouts of Tyson and Kenny and, more frequently, Black Dranzer or as the students called it, "that huge black bird".

_Just act normal Hilary and no one will know. If anyone asks, feign ignorance._

"Hey Hilary, do you know where Tyson and Kenny are?" a girl beside her asked.

"I'm afraid not. They both left early this morning and didn't tell me where they were going."

"But aren't you Tyson's girlfriend? Why would he leave and not tell you?"

"Well, you've seen how protective he is of me. Tyson said that where he was going was really dangerous, and he didn't want me trying to follow him."

"Oh. I wish I had a guy who was that good to me. You know, you're really lucky."

"I know."

"Do you know anything about this enormous bird that everyone's been talking about?" the girl asked.

A boy from behind Hilary spoke up. "She should considering she's a member of the G-Revolutions!"

Hilary turned around to face him, feeling somewhat annoyed, but she kept her neutral façade.

"All I know about it is what I've heard on the news. Just because I'm a member of a beyblade team doesn't mean that I know everything that goes on."

"But you must know something," he insisted.

Just as Hilary was about to answer, the teacher walked in. It was a man in his early forties.

"Alright class, settle down. I know all of you are probably wondering about the bird that's been seen in different parts of the world. Unfortunately, I don't know any more than you do. I realize that this whole thing is alarming, but we cannot let a sensational news story get in the way of education."

"Sensei, Hilary knows what's going on!" the same boy suddenly shouted out.

This time, Hilary's temper got away from her and she smacked him on his head.

"Will you stop it? That's embarrassing and besides, I don't know any more than the rest of you."

"Alright class, if you're so eager to know about this story, let's just watch the news, shall we?"

He turned on the suspended TV and turned to the national news. An anchorwoman was on screen sitting at a desk in a news studio.

"Hello. Today's top story continues to be the mysterious Black Dranzer. Our sources have confirmed that the creature is headed for Romania. We still don't know who released it or what exactly Boris Balkov's involvement is. Here as my guest is the renowned beyblade scientist Judy Tate, founder of the All-Starz."

Judy's picture flashed on screen.

"Thank you for being with us, Dr. Tate. You've been doing research on Black Dranzer since the story broke a few weeks ago. What have you learned?"

"Well, we know that all bit-beasts are spirits trapped inside beyblades. Black Dranzer is no longer sealed inside a beyblade so I believe that it is no longer in spirit form."

"So you mean that the creature is now flesh and blood?"

"The evidence seems to point that way."

"What are your theories as to why Black Dranzer seemingly vanished a few days ago?"

"That goes back to my earlier point. If Black Dranzer is in fact corporeal like us, then it is capable of suffering real damage. You reported on the battle with the White Tigers not long ago. I think that since Black Dranzer was badly hurt in the struggle, it went into hiding to heal itself."

"I see. There have been reports of fires and injury to humans across Europe and Asia. Do you believe Black Dranzer is the cause?"

"That depends on where the creature was sighted at the time of these incidents. It could be just wildfires and accidents."

"A question that has been raised many times is who is responsible for releasing Black Dranzer on the world. Do you have any ideas on the subject?"

Judy seemed to hesitate in answering. This told Hilary that she knew who freed Black Dranzer and didn't want to tell.

"I don't have a definite answer, but I can assure you that Boris is involved, even if he's not directly responsible."

"That's the perplexing part. If Boris is not directly responsible, then who is? We have another special guest with us. Here is the head of the BBA, Mr. Dickenson."

Mr. Dickenson's picture appeared under Judy.

"Mr. Dickenson, you are very involved with cases of abuse in the beyblade world. Do you know the identity of the person that released Black Dranzer?"

"Yes, I do. However, out of concern for their safety, I cannot reveal the name," he answered.

"Concern for their safety? What do you mean?"

"You see, Boris did not release Black Dranzer himself because he couldn't. Someone else had to do it."

"Why would Boris need another person to free Black Dranzer?"

"In order to free a bit-beast like Black Dranzer, only one who has never had contact with a spirit can release it because the process cannot be completed by someone with a partner."

"Why?"

"A bit-beast who has bonded with a human will protect them from any danger it can and since Black Dranzer is evil, a bit-beast will not allow its partner to come into contact with something that is obviously harmful."

"I see. So your theory is that Boris used someone who had no bond with a bit-beast to free this creature."

"Yes. The reason I brought up the issue of safety is because once the public knows who is responsible, there will be an immediate hostility toward them and a wish to see them punished. Violence could occur and put this person in extreme danger."

"But Mr. Dickenson, this person, whoever it is, unleashed a terrible monster upon the world and has put others in danger. Wouldn't you agree that they deserve to be punished?"

Hilary's face had gotten considerably pale and the teacher noticed.

"Hilary, do you need to go to the nurse?" he asked.

She was startled by the question, but took the chance to get out of class. "Yes, I think so. I feel a little light-headed," she said.

"Alright."

Hilary got up and went to the nurse's office and played the part of the sick patient until the end of the day and as soon as she was able, Hilary ran home, not wanting to face the rest of the class.

* * *

"Hilary, what's the matter?" Ms. Tatibana asked, seeing her daughter near tears when she came in.

"I had a rough day and I just want to be left alone," she said.

Hilary ran upstairs to her room and nearly slammed the door. She flung herself on her bed and cried.

_If people find out the truth, the G-Revolutions will be vilified because I'm a part of the team. Their lives will be ruined and it'll be my fault!_

Right then, she longed for nothing other than Tyson's presence. He understood her situation and would comfort her. She eventually cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Later that night, a shadowed figure crept into the house and snuck up to Hilary's bedroom. The person picked up the sleeping girl and went back downstairs.

Hilary, even though asleep, felt a loss of warmth and stirred awake. Looking up, she saw that she was being carried, though by who was a mystery. Had she been more lucid, Hilary might've stayed still and quiet until they were outside before making her presence known. However, in her current state, she was only aware of being very alarmed so she did the first thing that came to mind. She screamed as loud as she could.

The mysterious captor cupped a hand over her mouth and then rendered her unconscious by striking her carotid artery.

The scream woke up her mother and she ran into the living room. The intruder saw her reaching for the light, so they pulled out a gun and fired one shot. Ms. Tatibana fell to the floor immediately. Picking up Hilary, the intruder walked out the door and disappeared into the night.


	14. Chapter 14

Well, here it is, the battle between Black Dranzer and the four Sacred Beasts (plus Strata Dragoon, Wolborg and the Saint Shields bit-beasts). Now, this was a hard battle to write considering there are so many bit-beasts to account for. I hope I was able to make it interesting, but I'm warning you now, the battle may be a bit lacking. I was never good at writing action scenes. Anyway, Read & Review if you like it.

* * *

Last time...

_"Vortex Ape!"_

_"Vanishing Moot!"_

_"Sharkrash!"_

_"Flash Leopard!"_

_"Wolborg!"_

_"Driger!"_

_"Draciel!"_

_"Dranzer!"_

_"Strata Dragoon!"_

_"Dragoon!"

* * *

_

The next part was said in unison. "We release you from your seals! Come forth and be free!"

The sky went black. All the beyblades glowed and ten points of light burst from them. Vortex Ape appeared first, a large black gorilla fortified with cybernetic armor. Vanishing Moot materialized next, a black and white elephant. Sharkrash appeared in the sky, a gigantic white and purple shark adorned with green armor. Flash Leopard was next, a purple lion-like beast with a flaming mane. Wolborg stood next to Flash Leopard, a white wolf covered with teal ice crystals.

The four Sacred Beasts were next, along with Strata Dragoon. Driger, the golden-armored white tiger, Draciel, the heavily armored purple turtle, Dranzer, the proud red phoenix and Black Dranzer's counterpart, Strata Dragoon, the golden dragon with large gold wings and control over the earth and finally, Dragoon, the serpentine wingless blue dragon with control over wind.

The newly released spirits stared down at the dark phoenix. Black Dranzer flew up until it was level with Dranzer. The red phoenix glared at its counterpart and after a short stare-down, Black Dranzer let out a battle cry. Dranzer responded by shooting a blast of fire at its counterpart. Black Dranzer dodged and Dranzer flew straight toward him. The two firebirds flew around each other shooting blasts of flame. At one point their talons locked, and then the two kicked away from each other and another stare-down ensued.

Dragoon, sensing that the black phoenix was a threat, roared and flew over to the two battling birds. He flew in between the two and then shot a literal small tornado at Black Dranzer, pushing him back. The black bird crashed into the side of the mountain causing a rockslide.

"We've gotta move!" Hiro shouted.

Everyone ran toward the edge of the cliff out of the path of the falling boulders. Mariam however, was hit in the back by one of the larger rocks while running and was knocked down. The rockslide was still going and Mariam was right in its path.

"Mariam!" Max shouted.

He ran over and tackled her just before she was hit. He started to remove himself from on top of her, but Mariam pulled him back down and kissed him. Max's eyes widened in shock, but he soon relaxed and returned the kiss.

"We're in a life or death situation, and those two are making out?" Hiro said, clearing outraged.

Max and Mariam soon let go of each other and ran back to the others.

"Thank you Max," Mariam said.

"No problem," he said while blushing.

"You two can thank each other later," Tala said. "We need to get inside so we can be out of the way."

Everyone nodded and went inside the cave.

Black Dranzer landed and used its "flamethrower" attack in an attempt to get rid of the land-bound bit-beasts all at once. Draciel got in front of the blast and curled up in a ball. A wall of water appeared in front of him and diffused the attack. Driger immediately jumped on Black Dranzer, knocking him down. The black phoenix shot a fireball straight into his face. Driger staggered away and Black Dranzer raised itself up.

Vanishing Moot charged, but Black Dranzer simply flew up out of range. Flash Leopard roared and fired a blast in the shape of a cross at the bird but he used another blast of black fire cancelling out the attack. Flash Leopard dodged before he could be hit. The crystal on Wolborg's back glowed and suddenly shards broke off and circled the white wolf. Wolborg roared and the shards raced toward Black Dranzer too fast for him to dodge. The shards imbedded themselves in his chest and wings pinning him to the mountain. Black Dranzer cried out and black fire surrounded him. Wolborg opened his mouth to use the Snow Meteor attack but the shards holding the phoenix melted and he flew up just in time. Opening his mouth, Black Dranzer let out a gigantic sheet of fire that formed into a phoenix. Draciel curled up, using its Viper Wall defense. While he did withstand the attack, Draciel was considerably weakened.

Vortex Ape roared and slammed his fists together, creating electrostatic discharge. Once enough electricity was stored, Vortex Ape moved to open his palms and fired a powerful beam at Black Dranzer. Caught off guard, the black bird took the full brunt of the blast and was stunned. Strata Dragoon saw his opening and took it. He flew up and charged at the phoenix, pinning the bird once again to the mountain. Dranzer and Dragoon quickly came over and helped hold the dark beast. Black Dranzer cried out. Its wings were suddenly aflame, burning Dragoon and Strata Dragoon who promptly let go. Black Dranzer than charged and slammed into Dranzer, knocking her back.

Dragoon roared in anger and swooped in, wrapping his body around Black Dranzer, squeezing the bird tightly to hold him. The vice grip was too strong for Black Dranzer to break free of. The other bit-beasts took this chance and attacked. Sharkrash used its Abyss Fire attack, Flash Leopard used his Sacred Fire attack, Vortex Ape again used Thunder Hammer, Wolborg used his Snow Meteor attack and Dranzer used its old Fire Arrow attack.

Dragoon waited until the last possible second before releasing Black Dranzer and flying out of the way. The barrage of attacks hit the dark phoenix full force, one after another. An explosion resulted when Dranzer's Fire Arrow attack connected. Black Dranzer fell to the ground, unconscious. He began to glow and soon a black light surrounded him. The body of the phoenix was reduced to a ball of light which shot up into the still black sky and was gone.

Dragoon turned to the other bit-beasts and for the first time during the whole ordeal, spoke.

"The battle is over now. Black Dranzer has been defeated. We now have a choice. Do you wish to return to our homeworld or do you wish to stay here with your human partners?"

"What is your choice Dragoon?" Dranzer asked. "Whatever you decide, we shall follow you."

"If that's the case, then I wish to remain here. I made a pact long ago with my partner, my friend, that I would stay by his side until such time as destiny calls for us to go our separate ways."

"If that is your decision, then we will stay as well," Dranzer said. "Besides, I personally want to stay with my partner too. He needs me."

"Then it is decided. We will return to our seals and stay with our human companions."

* * *

Tyson and the others listened and from the silence, the battle was over.

"Do you think they won?" Max asked.

"We won't know until the bit-beasts either go into the rock or something tells us they went back to their world," Tala said.

Suddenly ten beams of light zoomed into the cave and went into each of their beyblades. When the lights dissipated, the images of the bit-beasts had returned to the bit-chips.

"It looks like they did it," Kai said, smiling at his beloved Dranzer.

"Thank God that nightmare is over," Ray said.

They all stepped outside and saw that the sky was a mixture of red, orange and purple, indicating that dusk was setting in.

"Okay, so I guess we climb back down," Mariam said.

"No, I say we just crash in the cave tonight," Joseph said.

"I actually agree with Joseph. We can climb down in the morning," Ozuma said.

* * *

The next morning, Mr. Dickenson was waiting for them with his private jet, so nobody had to climb down. Once everyone was on and had their bearings, Mr. Dickenson turned to the group, a sad expression on his face.

"What's with the long face, Mr. D?" Max asked.

"I'm afraid I have bad news, boys," he answered.

"What kind of bad news? Black Dranzer's been defeated," Ray said.

"Hilary is missing," Mr. Dickenson said simply.

"WHAT?" Tyson shouted.

"What happened? Where is she?" Kenny asked.

"My guess is that she was taken back to Russia. An unknown intruder came into the house in the middle of the night and kidnapped Hilary. To make matters worse, her mother is in critical condition in the hospital."

"Her mom? What happened to her?" Daichi asked.

"The intruder who took Hilary, whoever they were, shot Ms. Tatibana when she tried to intervene."

Everyone gasped in shock.

"They shot her?" Mariam asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"This is definitely Boris's handiwork," Kai said.

"Why would Hilary be taken back to Russia?" Ozuma asked.

"Boris knew that the four Sacred Beasts could defeat Black Drazer, so I would theorize that he took Hilary as a safeguard in case that happened. Black Dranzer is now sealed inside its blade again and all the bit-beasts that were sealed inside the rock will soon return to their owners. However, that dark creature is capable of being released again, should Hilary touch Black Dranzer's bit-chip."

"We have to get Hilary back. Mr. Dickenson, take us to Russia right now!" Kai said.

"Of course."

"Mr. Dickenson, do you think that if Boris died, he would be missed?" Tyson asked, a cold look in his eyes.

"Why would you ask such a thing Tyson?"

"Because when I see him, I'm going to kill him!"

* * *

So, what did you think? Did you like the battle or could I have done better? I'd like honest feedback and suggestions (if any) on how I might improve it. By the way, marishka91, that KaixHil moment will be in the next chapter so look for it.


	15. Chapter 15

Hi everyone! Here's the fifteenth chapter. I'm sorry this took so long, but I had a massive case of writer's block. Anyway, I certainly hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Hilary woke up and found herself in what looked like an infirmary. She was lying on a bed and looking to her right, she saw an open door. Hilary tried to sit up but found she couldn't. Looking down, she saw the reason why. She had been strapped to the bed, most likely to prevent escape.

Hilary heard footsteps and the sound was definitely heading her way. In her mind, she knew who it was, but hoped that she was wrong. Soon, she saw Boris Balkov walk in.

_What could he possibly want with me now?_

"Welcome back," he said, with a smirk on his face.

Hilary glared at him. "What the hell do you want now?" she asked.

"Well, it seems that I underestimated the strength of your friends' bit-beasts. Black Dranzer has been defeated and is now sealed back inside its blade."

Hilary smiled at the news. The others had won. Her smile turned to a smirk as she looked at Boris's disappointed face.

"Karma's a bitch, Boris." she said.

Boris merely smiled at her arrogant sense of satisfaction. "An appropriate sentiment I suppose, given my current dilemma." He walked over to Hilary's bedside. "But I would've thought you'd be more careful. After all, if one doesn't learn from their past mistakes…" Boris leaned down until he was almost nose to nose with her. "…history will repeat itself."

Hilary grimaced, repulsed by his close proximity. She spat on his face. Boris stood up, shocked by her action.

"Out of my face!" she said.

Boris glared at Hilary. He slapped her hard across her face. "You're constant impudence is working on my last nerve!"

"Why am I here?" Hilary demanded.

He seemed to calm down before speaking again. "You are here because you will release Black Dranzer again. I will not let my plans be foiled by those infuriating friends of yours."

"Forget it!" Hilary yelled at him.

"Then you will remain here until you choose to comply. If you do not do as I say, you will waste away here and die, if I don't decide to kill you sooner."

Boris gave her one last glare and then walked out.

* * *

Mr. Dickenson had ordered the pilot to find the quickest route to Russia. Everyone on the jet was silent. Kai was clutching Dranzer to him. He wasn't going to let Boris get his beyblade again.

_I hope Hilary's alright. If Boris has done anything to her, Tyson isn't the only one he'll have to deal with._

Tala was sitting next to Kai and had his thoughts elsewhere. _This madness has to end. Boris must be stopped permanently._

Max was sitting with Mariam. She had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. Max was still trying to wrap his head around what had happened to Mrs. Tatibana.

_Poor Hilary. I can't believe Boris would stoop so low as to shoot and possibly kill an innocent person. We have to stop him._

Ray, who was sitting next to Ozuma, was also asleep. Ozuma however, was awake, his mind preoccupied with stopping Boris's plan.

_We can't allow Black Dranzer to be released again. We can't afford another battle like that._

Tyson had only one thing on his mind. _Please be safe Hilary…

* * *

_

Hilary had been struggling against her bonds, but to no avail. She was trapped, with no hope for escape. Boris walked in again, this time with Black Dranzer. He smirked seeing her attempt to free herself.

"You can struggle all you like, but it will do you no good. Now, are you ready to stop being so resistant and do as you're told?"

"Burn in hell," Hilary said defiantly.

Boris was unfazed. "Your choice."

"You know what Boris? You can just execute me right now! Because there is no way I'm touching Black Dranzer again!"

"So you would throw away your life away? A rather selfish act, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh don't you DARE preach to me about selfishness! You've kidnapped me twice now, put the whole planet in danger, and caused my friends and family a lot of pain all because your sick mind can't fathom the idea that the world doesn't revolve around you!"

Boris glared at Hilary. "The world is now in a state of lawlessness. Only the strong will survive. In order to be strong, one must have power. With Black Dranzer, I have ultimate power! As for your family, I don't think you need to worry about that any longer."

Hilary's eyes widened in fear. "What are you saying?"

"Your mother shouldn't have tried to interfere. She could very well pay the ultimate price because of her foolishness."

"What did you do? What happened to my mother?!" Hilary shouted.

He laughed, mocking her frantic concern. "She is gone, if not now, she will be soon but her fate should be the least of your worries. You will soon join her, since you would rather die than simply submit to my will."

Hilary looked at him with pure hatred this time, something she had never felt for anyone before.

"Boris, you are the devil. I understand now why Tyson and Kai feel so much disgust for you. I actually wanted to spare your life because I didn't want to be responsible, even indirectly, for the death of another human being, but you aren't human, you're a monster."

Boris chuckled. "I'm touched. But I never asked for mercy, especially from an idealistic fool like you. I hope you're prepared for death, because it won't be quick."

"I expected as much. Go ahead. I just hope that when the others get here that Tyson goes through with his threat to kill you because there is nothing I would love more than for you to die by his hands!"

He smirked. "I wouldn't count on it, dear. Your friends don't even know you're here and if by some chance they are coming for you, there's still nothing they can do to save you."

Boris left Hilary alone. She didn't know where he was going, but she dreaded his return.

* * *

Once they landed outside the Abbey, the sun was just getting ready to set. Tyson sprinted out ahead of everyone with Kai right behind him. Tyson forced the door open and everyone ran inside.

"Alright, he's most likely taken her to one of the dungeons," Tala said. "But just to cover our bases, we'll check the medical ward and the laboratory too."

"I know where the dungeons are," Ray said.

"And I remember where the medical ward is," Joseph said.

"Alright so Ray, Kai and Ozuma, you three go to the dungeons," Tala said.

"Dunga, Joseph and I will go to the medical ward," Mariam said.

"Be careful Mariam," Max told her.

She smiled at Max, grateful for his concern. "I will Max."

"So that leaves me, Hiro, Daichi, Max, Kenny and Tyson," Tala said. He turned to his group. "I'll lead you to the laboratory."

* * *

Boris came back in with a gleefully evil smile on his face. Hilary glared at him.

"So, what do you plan to do with me?"

"You'll find out soon enough," he said as he walked over to her.

Boris ripped off the straps holding Hilary down. "Now come, we're going to the dungeons."

Hilary sat up and moved herself off the bed. Boris grabbed her arm. She looked at him and was about to move to free herself. Boris tightened his grip to the point where she was brought to her knees from the pain. Once she got up again, she didn't try to struggle. He lead Hilary out of the room and down a dark corridor.

* * *

Kai, Ray and Ozuma were looking through every dungeon cell, but found no trace of their friend.

"Damn it!" Kai cursed under his breath. He punched the wall in frustration.

"We'll find her Kai, don't worry," Ray said. He was a little surprised at Kai's reaction. He seemed very concerned.

"Come on, let's see if we can find Mariam, Joseph and Dunga," Ozuma said.

* * *

Mariam and her group had no better luck in the medical ward.

"Hey, look at this," Joseph said, pointing to the now vacant bed.

"These straps were obviously used to hold someone down," Mariam said. "Hilary was here, and probably not too long ago."

"If we hurry, we can track her down," Joseph said. "Let's go!"

* * *

Tala and his group came upon the laboratory, but the door was sealed shut.

"What the hell?" Tala muttered, trying to push the entrance open.

"Why isn't it opening?" Max asked.

"Boris must have bolted the door shut," Kenny said.

"Which means that in all likelihood, he's in there with Hilary right now," Hiro said.

Tyson had heard enough. He ran up to the door and pounded it with his fists.

"Open this door!" He shouted.

"Tyson stop it's no use!" Max said.

"Besides, you're murdering your hands," Daichi said.

Soon Tyson tired himself out and dropped to his knees from exhaustion.

Kenny went over to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Tyson, I'm sure she's alright. Boris needs her to release Black Dranzer, so he wouldn't harm her."

"You don't know that!" His face was set in an angry frown, but Kenny knew this was just a mask. Tyson was desperate and more than that, scared.

"Wait a minute," Tala said. "There is another entrance to the laboratory. It's a secret passage within Black Dranzer's chamber."

Tyson immediately got to his feet. "What are you waiting for? Take us there!"

Tala nodded.

* * *

Boris smiled as he looked at Hilary. Her eyes were closed. Her arms hung limp.

"I told you your death wouldn't be quick, but luckily for you, it will be relatively painless."

Hilary slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Boris, she gasped. She was looking down at him which meant that she was above him and above the ground.

"Ah, you're awake," Boris said.

"Where am I?" she asked

"You're in my laboratory. You're currently suspended from my special machine."

She looked to her sides and saw that he was right. She had wires in her arms and the wires were covered with tubes.

"What is this?" she shouted, clearly panicked.

"This is a machine designed to sap a person of their life force. As the machine drains your life force, you will become progressively weaker until you eventually die."

"What? How can you do that?"

"You see, I use Black Dranzer's spirit power to run the machine. Because he is a dark spirit, albeit an artificial one, I was able to configure the device to take away life energy."

Boris walked past her. He took out Black Dranzer.

"Now to activate it. Remember Hilary, you wanted to do this."

Her eyes narrowed. "It's better than letting you destroy the planet."

He placed the beyblade inside of a recess designed specifically for it. The machine started up and electricity ran through. The wires inside of Hilary's arms and back stretched thin and suddenly Hilary let out an agonizing scream…


	16. Chapter 16

This is chapter 16 everyone. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to comment on any aspect of the story you like and tell me what, if anything, I can improve on. Read & Review!

* * *

Tyson and the others were inside Black Dranzer's chamber.

"Alright so where is this secret entrance?" Tyson asked.

"It's accessed from under the glass case where Boris keeps Black Dranzer," Tala said. "But it can only be opened by a remote control that Boris keeps with him at all times."

"Stand back!" Tyson said. He took out Dragoon and launched it at the glass which promptly shattered.

Upon inspecting the pedestal, they saw a deep groove shaped so that any beyblade would fit in.

"All we have to do is place a beyblade inside and spin it counterclockwise," Tala said.

Kai stepped up and put Dranzer inside. As Tala had said, it fit perfectly. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Dranzer began to spin in a counterclockwise motion. Kai's brows furrowed and it spun faster. As it picked up speed, the side wall opened up, revealing a corridor.

"Let's go!" Ozuma said.

Once they got to the end of the corridor, there was another door, this one with a code box.

"Please tell me you know the code," Mariam told Tala.

"Don't worry I do." He put the code in and the door opened.

The group ran inside and when they came upon Boris, Tyson stepped forward.

"Where is Hilary, you son of a bitch?" he demanded.

"I see you came after all. Mr. Dickenson's doing no doubt."

"Don't play with me! Where is she?"

Boris smirked. "Look above you."

They all looked up and gasped in horror at the sight. Hilary was suspended with tubes inside of her. Behind her was a gigantic machine with a strange golden substance in a cylindrical container. The tubes glowed with a black light and that same liquid-like substance seemed to be flowing from Hilary to the machine.

"What is that thing?" Max asked, more to himself than to anyone else.

"It is my life absorption machine. I use Black Dranzer's power to drain a person's life force."

"Let her go right now!" Ray shouted.

"Why would I do that? This was her choice."

"What? Hilary would never agree to this!" Kenny said.

"Oh but it's true. You see, I gave Hilary a choice. Free Black Dranzer again or die. She said that she would rather perish than submit to me a second time, so this is her fate."

Tyson was looking at Hilary. Her arms hung limp and her skin was becoming increasingly pale. Her eyes were half-lidded and glazed over, devoid of any spark. Tyson's eyes filled with tears. He hated seeing her in so much pain. His body shook with rage and sorrow. He involuntarily clenched his fists. Turning to Boris, Tyson growled.

"You…" he snarled. "I'll kill you!"

He ran at Boris, not caring about his own safety. He just wanted to hurt the man who hurt his Hilary.

"Tyson!" Kai shouted.

Tyson stopped in his tracks and turned to his teammate.

"Listen, I know you're angry! But if what Boris says is true, we have to get Hilary unhooked from that machine. If we don't, she'll die!"

Tyson nodded and then turned back to Boris. "Let her go, now!"

"I told you, this was her choice."

"You're lying!"

"You only wish I was lying."

Just then, the group heard a faint voice. "Tyson…"

Everyone turned to Hilary. Her eyes had opened fully and she seemed to be struggling to breathe.

"What he says is true. This was my decision."

"Hilary, why would you do this?" he asked, trying to keep his tears from falling.

"My life is a small price to pay to keep him from fulfilling his twisted ambitions."

"But you don't have to give up your life! There has to be another way!"

"As long as I live, he'll never stop chasing me down. If my death is the only way to stop Black Dranzer, I'm willing to make that sacrifice."

His tears were falling freely now. "Hilary…I love you. You're my life."

"And I love you. I'm sorry…"

Her eyes closed and her head hung limp.

"Hilary? HILARY!"

Boris laughed. "It's just as well. Had she stayed alive, the world would've been against her knowing that she released Black Dranzer upon the world."

"Actually Boris, half the world already knows of what happened and no one blames her," Kai said. "Once your involvement was suspected, people knew that she couldn't have released Black Dranzer willingly."

He merely scoffed. "Even if that's so, it doesn't matter. Her death only ensures Black Dranzer's seal for a certain amount of time. Eventually, I'll find someone else to use. There is only one way to ensure that Black Dranzer stays sealed permanently."

"What's that?" Ozuma asked.

"If someone gives up their spirit, their soul, to go inside the beyblade, Black Dranzer's spirit will be trapped. Of course, the person who does this will essentially lose their life."

"I'll do it!" Tyson said immediately.

"Are you certain? If you do, not only will you lose your life, but you'll lose Dragoon as well."

"What? Why?" Mariam asked.

"A bit-beast bonds with a human mind, body and soul. If one loses their soul, they lose that connection forever."

"Will you give Hilary her life force back?" Tyson asked.

"I suppose so. I'd be rid of you, so why not?" Boris smirked.

"Tyson, no! You can't give up Dragoon!" Max shouted.

"Of course, I could give Hilary her life back and she could be the sacrifice," Boris said in a teasing manner.

"If she does that, she'd still die!" Ray said.

"Yes, but at least this time, her death would actually serve a purpose." He turned to Tyson with a smirk. "Are you willing to give her up to keep your bit-beast?" he asked.

Tyson glared at Boris. "You can't honestly expect me to choose between my best friend and my soulmate."

"But I do. What is your choice?"

_**Tyson…**_

He froze. A deep voice was speaking to him in his mind. He knew exactly who it was.

_**Let Hilary go. Let her be the sacrifice.**_

_What? Dragoon, are you crazy?_

_**Trust me Tyson. This is the best course of action. She can be saved, but you must let her go for the time being.**_

…_Alright, I trust you._

"I'll…let Hilary be the sacrifice."

There were gasps heard from every one of his teammates.

"Tyson…why?" Kenny asked.

"This is the best thing that I can do."

"As you wish," Boris said.

He went up and pressed a button below Black Dranzer. The machine geared up and the container holding Hilary's life force began to drain. It went through the tubes and into Hilary. When all of it was back inside of her, Hilary's eyes flickered open.

"Alright, get her down and get it over with," Tyson said.

Kai glared at Tyson. He seemed to be far too eager to give Hilary up.

"Oh I won't go through the process now. Her body is far too frail and her life energy will be useless if she's not at full strength. She has 24 hours from the time you return to Japan to recuperate."

Tyson nodded.

* * *

Once they got back to Japan, Tyson immediately sent Hilary to bed and told her to rest. He said nothing about the decision he had made.

Kai came up to his room and saw Tyson by Hilary's bedside. "Tyson, could I talk to you?" Kai asked. His eyes were cold.

"Okay," he said.

Once they were outside, Kai turned to Tyson and punched him to the ground.

Tyson stood up and glared at Kai. "What the hell was that for?" he yelled.

"Does Hilary's life mean nothing to you?" Kai shouted back.

Tyson was taken aback by the question, but anger quickly took over. "What are you talking about? You know Hilary is the most important person in my life!"

"Then would you mind telling me why you chose to let her sacrifice herself?"

"I had no other choice."

"Bullshit! You know damn well that any one of us could've given up our souls to seal Black Dranzer."

"Yes you could've, but would you have been willing?"

Kai didn't answer right away so Tyson answered for him.

"I highly doubt it. You care more for Dranzer than any of us and the same goes for the others."

"It would've been hard for me, but I would've been willing and I'm sure the others would've done the same thing. She's our friend. My question is, why didn't you?"

"Because there's a better way. Dragoon told me that she could still be saved."

"Really? Did he tell you how that's possible?"

"No, but I trust him. And Kai, don't EVER question my feelings for Hilary again!"

Kai's gaze didn't soften, but he nodded.

* * *

Later that day, Tyson went back up to his room to check on Hilary. He gently shook her awake.

"Hey Tyson," she said softly.

"Hilary, there's something very important I have to tell you. You're only going to be here until tomorrow."

"Why?"

He had to use all his strength not to start sobbing. "I was given a choice between giving you up in order to seal Black Dranzer or giving myself up and losing Dragoon. I didn't want to choose, but Dragoon talked to me and told me that I…needed to let you go…"

Hilary was initially shocked, but then she did the last thing Tyson expected her to do. She smiled at him.

"I understand. I'll do it."

"What?"

"It's okay. I know it wasn't an easy choice to make. If I can do something to help you, I'll do it."

Tyson embraced her with tears running down his face. "I won't let you go without a fight. I will get you back, I swear. I love you, more than life itself. Never forget that."

"I trust you and I know you love me."

* * *

That night, the two slept together and Tyson held her closer than ever before, knowing he would have to give her up tomorrow.


	17. Chapter 17

Here's chapter 17 of the story. I know it took a while, but I've been kind of busy with summer school. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Read & Review!

* * *

The next morning, Tyson woke first, not surprising since Hilary literally had the life drained out of her barely a day ago and was still recovering. Seeing that his girlfriend was still asleep and knowing that he wouldn't be with her for very much longer, Tyson decided to make the best of the situation.

"Hil, are you awake?" he asked, just above a whisper.

Seeing no response from her, he smiled. Leaning in, he touched his lips to hers. He continued to slowly deepen the kiss until he felt her respond. Opening his eyes, Tyson saw Hilary smiling at him.

"Morning Tyson," she said.

"Good morning Hilary."

Hilary looked over and saw that the clock read 6:30. She turned back to Tyson, looking surprised. "Why up so early?"

Tyson's smile widened. "After today, I may not get to do this for a while, so I wanna spend as much time with you now as I can. Now where was I?"

He kissed her again, this time even deeper than before. Putting his arm around the small of her back, he ran the tip of his tongue across her lips and she granted him entrance. The two played inside each other's mouths for a while, and then Tyson pulled away and began trailing feather-light kisses up and down Hilary's neck, eliciting a moan of pleasure from her as she tilted her head back.

Tyson smirked. "You like that huh?" She only nodded.

Wrapping his other arm around her waist, He continued planting butterfly kisses up her neck before coming to her lips again. When he finally pulled away again, Tyson was grinning from ear to ear.

"You know how much I love you right?" Tyson asked, half-jokingly.

Hilary laughed and then nodded.

"Good. Now come on, let's get ready for the day."

"I know this is unlike me, but can we maybe stay in bed a little while longer?" Hilary asked.

Tyson chuckled. "Alright, fifteen more minutes."

* * *

At 7:00, the two were down at breakfast. Their teammates seemed to be very tense.

"Are you feeling better Hilary?" Max asked.

"Yeah," she responded.

"I checked in on your mom yesterday," Kenny said.

"How is she doing?" Hilary asked immediately.

"Well, I don't know if anyone's told you, but she was shot. The doctors say they've removed the bullet. It was lodged in the right side of her chest. She's stable right now, but she's still in critical condition."

"I see…"

"Hey, she'll get better. Kenny said she's stable so I'm sure she'll continue to improve." Ray said.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him.

There was an awkward silence afterwards. It was unnerving to everyone, so Kai decided to break it.

"Look, I don't know if Tyson's told you, but-" Kai started

"Yes, I know. And it's okay," Hilary said.

"Okay? How can you be okay with this?" Kai asked, frustrated and confused.

"If I can help you, any of you, in any way, I'm willing to do it. I'm not afraid of giving up my life."

"But one of us could just as easily be the sacrifice," Hiro said.

"Yes, but you would lose your bit-beasts as well and I don't want you to go through that," she answered. "Besides, Tyson told me that there's a way to get my soul back."

"For yours and his sake, I hope he's right," Kai said.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Hilary and Tyson were at the airport for Hilary's flight to Russia. When her flight was called, Tyson turned to her, utter sorrow on his face but with determination in his eyes as well.

"I will come for you, I promise you that," he said.

She nodded. She believed he would. "I love you Tyson," she said.

"I love you too," he said softly. "One last kiss?"

"Alright."

The two leaned in and kissed. The moment was cut short when Hilary pulled away soon afterwards. Apparently, it was sooner than Tyson would've liked. He looked confused and slightly hurt, which didn't go unnoticed by Hilary.

"I don't know how this is going to play out and I don't want this to be any more painful than it already is. Long goodbyes only hurt more," she said.

Hearing the last calls for her flight, Hilary turned away from her boyfriend. "I've gotta go."

As she walked outside to her plane, Tyson watched her until she was inside and out of sight.

* * *

When Tyson came back without Hilary, everyone knew what had happened. Kai narrowed his eyes at his teammate, still not comfortable with the decision. Seeing Kai's hostile gaze, Ozuma decided to step in.

"Kai, you and I need to talk," he said.

They went up to Tyson's room and shut the door.

"Look, I don't know exactly what your relationship is with Tyson or Hilary, but the decision has already been made and you need to let it go since there's nothing you or I can do about it."

"Well it's the wrong decision so I can't just let it go," Kai said. "Besides, it wasn't Hilary's decision. Tyson made it for her."

"Actually Kai, it was just as much her decision as it was his. Hilary said that she consented to this. Had she objected, then maybe we could've stepped in and come up with an alternate plan, but that didn't happen. Forgive me if I sound condescending, but who are you to judge anything they do? It's their relationship, not yours."

"She's been through enough and Tyson is only making things worse for her. I know it's not my place to butt in to their relationship, but I'm just concerned for her well-being."

"And I'm sure everyone else is. Tyson may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but when it comes to people he cares about, he's not reckless in making decisions. You've said so yourself. Besides, do you really think it was an easy choice for him to make? Dragoon is his best friend, period and Hilary is arguably the most important human in his life. If you were in his position, what would you have done?"

"I…don't know," he said.

"Exactly. Whatever his reasons were, Tyson did what he thought was best. None of us can judge him."

Kai didn't answer, only nodded.

The two were going to exit the room, but when they opened the door, Max and Mariam were standing there, with Max poised to knock on the door.

"What are you two doing?" Ozuma asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Blushing furiously, Mariam spoke first. "We just wanted some private time to talk."

"Okay…well, the room is free now."

* * *

Kai and Ozuma went back downstairs to find everyone else in a circle, obviously engaged in some sort of discussion.

"What's going on?" Kai asked.

"We're trying to figure out the best course of action to take now that Hilary's gone," Tala said.

"Tyson wants to be left alone and just converse with Dragoon to figure out how to get her back," Hiro said. "We think that a plan should be drawn out first, and part of that is waiting a while and training to prepare. If there is a way to get her back, Boris isn't gonna give her up without a fight."

"I'm not gonna wait around and risk Hilary getting trapped in there forever!" Tyson said. "If I can save her, I wanna do it while I still have the chance."

"I actually agree with Tyson," Kenny said. "We don't know how long her soul can stay sealed before it becomes impossible to free it at all."

"I think we should go as soon as possible," Joseph said.

"Yeah, the sooner we get over there, the sooner we can take down Boris," Dunga said.

"Look, let's at least train for a couple days, then if we have the information we need, we can go to Russia," Ray said.

"I agree," Kai said.

Ozuma, Hiro and Tala nodded their agreement.

"Daichi, what about you?" Hiro asked.

"As strange as it sounds, I actually agree with Tyson. I think Boris should pay for everything he's done and the sooner, the better."

"Well, we'll go along with Ray's plan for now," Tala said. "Tyson, you're not exempt from training, but see if you can get some answers from Dragoon."

"I intend to," he said.


	18. Chapter 18

Hello everyone! Here's the eighteenth chapter. Now, I should mention that this chapter is incredibly short (by my standards anyway). I wanted to make it go to where the group goes to Russia, but I couldn't come up with a transition that didn't sound redundant or cheesy (a lame excuse, I know). I promise that the next chapter will be longer. I hope you like this one, despite its short length.

* * *

Hilary was on her flight, her anxiety growing as she got closer to Russia. She wasn't afraid of the possibility of death, but she was fearful of the means by which Boris would accomplish that. The memory of being suspended from that contraption was still fresh in her mind.

_As long as it stops Black Dranzer, I'll endure whatever I have to._

Her thoughts then drifted to Tyson. She knew he would come for her. Tyson wasn't one to break a promise if he could help it. She also knew that he hated being away from her for more than a day and Hilary almost felt guilty for leaving him and the others behind.

_Speaking of the others, Kai seemed to be unusually upset when he found out about the decision for me to sacrifice myself. I guess he thinks I shouldn't have to._

Once the plane landed, Hilary slowly walked up to the imposing black building.

"Well, here goes nothing," she said to herself.

She walked inside and found Boris waiting for her.

"Good, you're here. Are you ready?" he asked.

Hilary nodded. Boris led her to the laboratory. In the middle of the floor was a bey-dish.

"What's this for?" Hilary asked, confused.

"I suppose you were expecting some gigantic machine to get the job done. Well, this time, I decided to go with something simpler. I will launch Black Dranzer and summon its spirit. Then the phoenix itself will suck out your soul and seal it inside the beyblade."

_Well at least it won't be painful _she thought.

Boris took out the beyblade and a simple launcher. He launched Black Dranzer. It spun to the middle of the bey-dish.

"Black Dranzer!"

The bit chip glowed and Black Dranzer came out with a black aura around it. It looked down at Hilary and then turned to Boris, as if asking a question.

"Take her spirit Black Dranzer. She offers it freely," Boris said.

Black Dranzer looked back at Hilary and cried out. A strong wind inexplicably blew through the room. Then something happened that shocked both her and Boris. Black Dranzer began to speak.

"Is this true? Do you wish to give up your soul?" he asked.

Hilary involuntary swallowed. Steeling herself, she answered. "Yes, I do."

"Very well…"

Black Dranzer opened its mouth and inhaled. It's eyes glowed red and Hilary's body glowed red as well. Her eyes glazed over and a glowing white ball came out of her chest. It was sucked into the bit chip and her now lifeless body fell to the floor. Black Dranzer was forcibly pulled back into its beyblade and the blade now glowed white, signaling that the seal was in place.

Boris smirked. "Even though Black Dranzer can no longer be freed, I'm sure Tyson will come to try to save his little friend. And when he does, I'll finish him off once and for all..."

* * *

Two days later, at the Granger dojo, Tyson and the others were in Mr. Dickenson's office.

"Mr. D, I need a flight to Russia," Tyson said.

"What for Tyson?" Mr. Dickenson asked.

After explaining the situation, Mr. Dickenson nodded in understanding.

"Of course I'll provide transportation. I hope you're able to save her."

_I hope so too _Tyson thought.

"Will the others be going with you?" Mr. Dickenson asked.

Tyson turned to his teammates. "Were you guys planning on going?"

"Of course. You can't do this alone," Kai said.

"Alright, then you'll be leaving tomorrow," Mr. Dickenson said.

* * *

Again, I'm sorry this chapter is so short. Review anyway, and tell me what you think. Heck, you can even give me suggestions on what I should do next.


	19. Chapter 19

Here's chapter 19 everyone! As I promised, this one is significantly longer than the last one. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish this by chapter 20. Anyway, Read & Review and I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The next day, Tyson was (amazingly) up before everyone at five in the morning. He dressed quickly and went downstairs to the kitchen and made cereal. Kai was woken up by the light and glared in annoyance once he saw Tyson.

"Tyson, what the hell are you doing up this early? Our flight doesn't leave for another five hours!"

"Hey, I didn't want to risk sleeping in and having to rush," Tyson responded.

"Then set your clock to a more reasonable hour at least," Kai retorted.

"Instead of griping at me, maybe you should be getting ready too. Either that or go back to sleep."

Kai gave Tyson one last glare before turning and going back to the others.

Three hours later, everyone was up and getting themselves ready. Max walked over to Tyson, who was sitting on the dojo steps.

"Tyson, I know you're anxious about all this, but why would you force yourself to wake up at five in the morning?" he asked.

"I want to be ready so that we can get to the airport on time," Tyson answered.

"Alright, but still you could've given yourself some more time to rest. You do need to sleep."

_I don't need sleep, I need her._

"Tyson, are you alright?" Max asked, noticing his silence.

He turned to Max, a serious look on his face. "I want her back, Max."

"I know. Just try to be patient."

"You wouldn't be saying that if it was Mariam in Hilary's place," Tyson said in an almost accusatory way.

Max sighed. "You're probably right. How do you expect to free her?"

"I don't want to say until we're at the Abbey."

"Okay…"

Max went back inside and Ray walked up to him. "So, how's he doing?"

"He's okay, he just really wants Hilary back and I think he may be a little worried about what Dragoon told him, whatever it was. He wouldn't tell me."

"Well, I'm almost ready so let's hope we can leave soon. Tyson's starting to worry me. He's been on edge ever since Black Dranzer was released."

"I know what you mean."

"There's something else. Kai's been acting really weird lately. Since Hilary got captured, he's been angrier than usual."

"Yeah I noticed. And his relationship with Tyson has gotten strained, well more strained. It's almost like he's jealous of Tyson's relationship with Hilary."

"Max, you don't think…"

Max's eyes widened in shock. "No way. I mean, he hasn't shown any interest in her."

"True, but neither did Tyson for a long time, at least not outwardly."

"Maybe you're right. Well, regardless, we have to get Hilary back. Otherwise, the team will never return to normal."

"You're right."

* * *

Once they were on the plane, Tyson sat as close to the door as possible and was very quiet. Everyone else (except for Kai) talked among themselves if only to avoid an uncomfortable silence.

Ray and Max were sitting together, still in discussion.

"Should we ask Kai about it?" Max asked Ray.

"I don't think so. He'd probably just deny it and might try to hurt us for even mentioning it."

"Well, what are we going to do about Tyson?"

"I don't think there's anything we can do. He's not going to calm down or go back to normal until he has Hilary back. You and I both know he worships her."

"Do you really think he'll be able to save her?"

"He has to. I never thought about it, but Hilary really holds this team together. She's the cheerleader, a coach, and now that she and Tyson are an item, he depends on her more than anything."

"Yeah. I'm just…so mad at Boris. I've never hated anyone, but I think he might be the first."

"Max, you're not the only one. Boris is a bastard, plain and simple. We have to stop him."

"Do you think Tyson was serious when he said he was going to kill Boris?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. You saw the way he looked at Boris when we were in the Abbey the first time. Tyson only gets that angry for two reasons; if he feels he's been betrayed or if someone he cares about is hurt or in danger."

"I think you're right. When we were in the dungeon cells, I asked him if he knew what happened to Hilary and his whole expression changed. He looked…bloodthirsty. It scared me."

"If he decides to go through with it, I only hope he'll be able to live with himself."

"Me too."

* * *

They arrived at the abbey in the early evening. When the group entered the Abbey, they heard Boris's voice.

"Hello, Tyson. Glad you finally made it. I knew you'd come back for the girl."

"Where is she?" Tyson shouted.

"That depends. Her soul is trapped in Black Dranzer's beyblade, but if you're looking for her body, you'll have to figure that out for yourself."

"Ozuma, take the Saint Shields and find Hilary's body," Tala said. "I'll go with you."

"The rest of us will try to find Boris," Hiro said.

* * *

Tala and the Saint Shields didn't encounter any resistance and they eventually found Hilary's body in the medical ward. She was lying on the bed.

"She doesn't look any different. If you didn't know better, you'd think she was just sleeping," Ozuma said.

"Let's hope Tyson can get her soul back," Tala said.

* * *

Hiro and the others however, encountered massive resistance but not in the form of guards. Everywhere they went, laser cannons and big black beyblades were fired at them in attempt to kill them. The group had to split up in order to lower the chance of anyone getting hurt and to get through the building faster.

Hiro, Daichi and Kenny eventually reunited and found themselves in Black Dranzer's chamber. The room was empty. Not even the holding case was there.

"Well, what do we do now?" Daichi asked.

"I hate to say it, but I think splitting up again would probably be the best option," Kenny said.

"Yeah. Maybe we can find the others," Hiro said.

"Or better yet, maybe we'll find Boris," Daichi said.

Just as they were leaving, Hiro let out a grunt of pain.

"Hiro what's wrong?" Kenny asked.

"It's my right arm. It got hit by one of those lasers," He said, holding his arm.

Kenny looked and saw that his arm was singed. "You should stay here. We'll come back for you once this is all over."

* * *

Tyson, Kai, Ray, and Max all found their way to the laboratory. This time, the door opened without effort. Inside was Black Dranzer, on a pedestal, the glass holding case off.

"Alright, we found Black Dranzer, but where's Boris?" Max asked.

"Who cares? I've found what I'm looking for so let's hope Boris doesn't come to interfere," Tyson said.

"For the first and probably only time during this whole thing, I agree with Tyson," Kai said.

"So Tyson, now will you tell us how you plan on getting Hilary out of there?" Ray asked.

"He won't be getting her out because he's not going anywhere and neither are you," Boris said as he walked through the secret entrance. Following behind him were Ian, Spencer, and a healed Bryan.

"You've been a nuisance for long enough. Quite frankly Tyson, I don't understand why you would even come for her. With Hilary's sacrifice, Black Dranzer can never be unleashed upon the world again. Do you value the life of one person over the whole world?"

Tyson glared at Boris. "That one person is _my _whole world. I love her, something that you could never understand."

"Well then, how do you expect to save her?"

Tyson smirked. "I'm gonna go in there and get her out."

Boris laughed. "You're more of a fool than I thought! You'll only end up with your soul trapped inside with hers!"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

"In any case, you're not getting near Black Dranzer. Bryan, attack Tyson!"

Bryan launched his beyblade at Tyson, but Driger knocked it away at the last second.

"Tyson, go get Hilary. We'll take care of these guys," Ray said. He turned and glared at Bryan. "Besides, he and I have a score to settle."

Max and Kai took on Ian and Spencer respectively. Max fell to his knees soon after however, a grimace on his face.

"Max, are you alright?" Tyson asked.

"My legs got cut by those black beyblades a while back. I guess I've been suppressing the pain up until now."

The upper part of both of Max's legs had moderately deep wounds and blood was dripping from the cuts.

"Max, call Draciel back. I'll battle Ian," Tyson said.

"No, I can handle it! Go on and rescue Hilary!" Max slowly stood up and faced Ian, a fiery determination in his eyes. He glanced at Tyson. "Go. We'll handle things here."

Tyson nodded. He walked up to Black Dranzer and took out Dragoon. He held the beyblade to his chest, over his heart. Tyson closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out to Dragoon with his mind.

_Dragoon…are you there?_

_**Yes Tyson. Are you ready?**_

_Yes._

_**Very well…**_

Dragoon began to glow a deep blue and the bit chip filled with light. A white beam of light suddenly went into Tyson's chest and his eyes shot open. They soon glazed over and his body began to glow the same color as Dragoon. A gigantic blue beam burst from Tyson's chest and went straight into Black Dranzer's bit chip. His eyes closed and his body collapsed to the ground.


	20. Chapter 20

Animegod 197 here. Hello everyone! I know you're wondering why this chapter is so long in coming. I've been out of town for the past couple of weeks and I didn't have Internet access. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this last chapter. I may put up an epilogue if you want one. Read & Review!

* * *

The bey-battle momentarily ceased, with everybody shocked at what had just transpired.

"What the hell just happened?" Ian asked.

"I don't know…" Ray said.

"I can't believe it…" Boris muttered. "He actually figured out a way to merge his soul with Dragoon's spirit, thereby preserving their bond and enabling him to enter Black Dranzer's beyblade."

"Wait a minute, then that means that Tyson's…" Max trailed off.

"Just like Hilary," Kai finished. "Without his soul, he's basically a corpse."

"Let's just hope that he's able to pull this off," Ray said.

"You should worry about yourself," Spencer said. He launched Seaborg again and the battle resumed.

* * *

Tyson woke up in a strange place. It was a large dimension, obviously not anything of earth. The sky was a swirling mixture of purple, dark blue and black. The rest of the place was pitch-black.

"This must be where Black Dranzer goes when he's not in battle. How am I gonna find Hilary?"

"Just keep walking forward Tyson," Dragoon said.

Tyson looked behind him and saw his bit-beast. "Oh Dragoon, there you are. Well, if you say so."

Tyson walked forward with Dragoon flying over him and every so often, they would hear the cry of the dark phoenix. Eventually, a white light appeared and formed a door.

"You wouldn't happen to know what's behind this door, would you?" Tyson asked.

"It is most likely Black Dranzer's inner sanctum, inside the bit-chip and if so, Hilary is there as well."

Tyson nodded and stepped through, Dragoon following after him. They were greeted by a white room. It was smaller than the previous one and appeared to be barren.

"Dragoon, I don't get it. There's nothing in here," Tyson said, turning to his bit-beast.

Dragoon didn't answer and was looking upward. Tyson turned around and looked up to where Dragoon seemed to be staring and saw what had caught the dragon's attention. In a huge pink crystal, Hilary stood upright, arms at her side, eyes closed.

"Hilary…" Tyson whispered. He turned back to Dragoon. "Can you get her out?"

"Black Dranzer has dominion over this place. If I tried to break the crystal, it would probably have no effect and even if I did manage to damage it, I might hurt Hilary as well. Remember Tyson, this is not her body that's trapped, it's her soul and if that is destroyed, she will cease to exist in any form. Only Black Dranzer can free Hilary unharmed."

"Are you serious? Black Dranzer's not even here and besides, I doubt he would let her go willingly!"

They heard Black Dranzer's cry again, louder than ever this time. A black vortex appeared and a giant Byzantium crystal floated down. Inside was Black Dranzer. His wings were wrapped around him in a protective manner and his head was down.

"Is he sleeping?" Tyson asked, glaring at the black bird.

"Yes. When a bit-beast is not in battle, it usually sleeps until called out again," Dragoon said.

"Well, wake him up and tell him to give me my girlfriend back!" Tyson nearly shouted.

Black Dranzer's eyes opened and his head shot up. Crying out, the dark phoenix spread his wings, shattering the crystal. He glared at Tyson and then turned to Dragoon.

"How dare you intrude in my domain? What business do you have here?" Black Dranzer asked Dragoon.

"I'm here on behalf of my partner. We've come for Hilary. Give her up peacefully and we will leave."

"The girl chose to give up her spirit in order to keep me sealed. By agreeing to that, she has made a covenant with me and that covenant cannot be broken."

"We're not leaving without Hilary!" Tyson yelled at him.

Black Dranzer turned to Tyson. "You young fool, don't you understand? She agreed to give up her soul and so she is the only one who can break the covenant. Since I am the guardian here, only I can release her."

"So it's a catch 22," Dragoon said. "Only Hilary can break this covenant, but since you have rule here, the only way she can break it is if you allow it."

"Exactly."

"So basically, we have to go through you? Fine. Dragoon, let's take him down!" Tyson said.

"You won't be able to defeat me so easily this time."

With a battle cry, the white room seemed to explode around them and the vast expanse of the dark dimension was once again visible.

"Before we do battle, tell me why you want this human back so badly," Black Dranzer said, flying up until he was level with Dragoon's face.

"I have no real connection with her. It is Tyson who wishes for her freedom. I am his partner and his friend so I go where he goes."

"A human risking his soul for another human? What foolishness."

Dragoon glared at the black phoenix. "I may not fully understand human emotion, but I do know that Tyson cares for Hilary a great deal. The bond that they share is nearly as strong as the bond between Tyson and myself and I will not allow you to make a mockery of that!"

"So be it…"

Black Dranzer shot black fire at Dragoon. The blue dragon flew up and dodged the attack. Dragoon charged and pinned the phoenix down. With a scream, Black Dranzer slashed Dragoon's underside with his talons. Dragoon roared in pain and withdrew. Black Dranzer was soon in the air again and aimed several fireballs at the dragon, which Dragoon dodged.

Dragoon roared again and his claws began to glow white. He crossed them and a gigantic tornado sped toward Black Dranzer. The bird's wings were suddenly aflame and with one flap, two huge flaming sickles were on a collision course with the tornado. The two attacks clashed and cancelled each other out. Black Dranzer fired a much more powerful blast at Dragoon, this one in the shape of the phoenix. Dragoon was hit directly and pushed back.

"You can do it Dragoon!" Tyson shouted.

Dragoon's claws glowed white once again, but this time, he used them to launch eight white blades at Black Dranzer. He flew around the blades. His mane glowed and unleashed three bird-shaped blades at Dragoon. The dragon dodged and flew behind Black Dranzer, wrapping himself around the phoenix and tightening his grip until it was impossible for his opponent to struggle. Black Dranzer eventually went limp and Dragoon released his hold.

"Alright, so can we get Hilary and leave now?" Tyson asked, seeing Black Dranzer on the ground.

"This fight won't end until either one of us is destroyed, or Hilary's crystal is shattered," Dragoon said.

"And if the latter happens, what then?"

"Her soul disappears and her body dissolves. Any record of Hilary's existence is erased from time for all eternity."

Tyson looked at the crystal and then turned back to his bit-beast. "Be careful, for yourself and for Hilary."

Dragoon nodded. Black Dranzer chose this moment to rise to his feet. He flew into the air slowly, glaring at his adversary.

"You will pay for that!"

His wings were on fire again, and he flew at Dragoon, hitting him with one of his wings, then flew around and hit him with the other wing. Black Dranzer continued this pattern of attack, even with Dragoon's attempts to dodge. Dragoon eventually retaliated, shooting a large blue ball of energy at the phoenix. Black Dranzer was hit and went down. He managed to land on his feet, however.

Not giving his enemy a chance to breathe, Dragoon fired another energy blast. Black Dranzer flew out of the way, barely dodging the attack. Breathing out a stream of black fire, the phoenix used the momentary distraction to fly behind the dragon and attack with his flaming wings. He then immediately went up, raking his talons against Dragoon's neck. Dragoon looked up and fired a mini-tornado as Black Dranzer was flying away. Caught off guard, the bird was trapped in the twister.

Black Dranzer was launched upward and barely managed to stop himself. Dragoon took his chance and fired another blast of energy. It hit the phoenix directly, but unfortunately, he slammed into Hilary's crystal. The crystal cracked, but didn't break. Black Dranzer fell to the ground.

Tyson stared in horror at the fractured crystal. "Hilary!"

Dragoon flew down and stopped beside his partner.

"She's alright. The crystal is still intact. Get on Tyson. This is our chance to end this battle!"

Tyson nodded and got on Dragoon's back. The dragon took to the air and flew over Black Dranzer.

"I need your help for this Tyson. Give me your energy and I can destroy Black Dranzer."

"You got it," Tyson said.

Tyson closed his eyes and just like before, his body glowed blue. This time however, Dragoon's body glowed as well. His eyes were white.

"Evolution Storm!"

Dragoon's mouth opened and a giant ball of blue light formed. The resulting blast took the form of a tornado and sped toward Black Dranzer. The attack hit him full force, covering him and holding him down. Dragoon fired another ray of energy over the twister, making it stronger. The combination attack enveloped Black Dranzer and with one last piercing scream, the dark phoenix was gone.

Dragoon landed and let Tyson off.

"We did it!" Tyson said proudly.

"Yes. Black Dranzer can never threaten the world again," Dragoon said.

"What about Hilary?"

"She seems to be fine. Her prison should disappear shortly."

As soon as he said that, the crystal holding Hilary faded away. She fell freely. Dragoon flew up and caught her then brought her back to Tyson. He held her close to him.

"I guess we can go back now," Tyson said.

Suddenly, Hilary's form disappeared and in its place was a glowing white ball. The sky opened up and a portal formed. The white ball floated up toward the portal.

"What's happening?" Tyson asked Dragoon.

"Her soul is going back to her body," he answered. "Speaking of which, we need to go back to our vessels. Climb on my back and we'll go back together."

Tyson got back on and the two flew up and through the portal.

* * *

Max, Ray and Kai had defeated Ian, Spencer and Bryan. Kenny and Daichi had joined up with them.

"Did you really think your lackeys could defeat us?" Kai asked.

Boris smirked. "No, I didn't. It doesn't matter though. I've already disposed of two of your friends so what's to stop me from doing the same to you?"

Kenny spoke up. "What's going on with Black Dranzer?"

Everyone turned to the beyblade and saw that it was cloaked in a white glow. A pillar of light erupted from the bit chip and split into three separate beams. One went into Tyson, one went into Dragoon's bit-chip and the third went out of the room and into the medical ward, coming to rest in Hilary's body.

Boris went over to Black Dranzer and saw that the bit-chip was blank and now it was cracked as well.

"It's impossible…" he whispered. "Black Dranzer has been destroyed…"

"Is it true? Did Tyson and Dragoon really get rid of Black Dranzer for good?" Max asked in disbelief.

Ray smiled. "It looks like it Max," he said.

Boris turned around and glared at the group. "You may have stopped Black Dranzer, but you can't stop me."

Daichi smirked. "Oh yeah? Without that overgrown buzzard, you're no threat to anybody. So what are gonna do now, you freak?"

Boris took out a pistol. "Since you're all here, I can eliminate you one by one."

"I don't think so," a voice said.

A white beyblade raced across the room and knocked the gun out of Boris's hand. It was Tala who had launched it.

"You're finally going down Boris!"

"So you finally show your true colors, Tala. I knew you were a traitor." Curiously, Boris smiled at his former student. "But you, of all people, should know that I always have a backup."

He took a laser gun out of his other pocket. "Each blast from this rifle carries with it the energy equivalent of an atomic bomb. One shot anywhere and the victim dies instantly."

Now everyone was truly frightened. It seemed Boris would win after all.

"I hope you've lived full lives," Boris said.

Just as Boris was about the pull the trigger, a gunshot was heard. Everything was still for a moment. Boris's mouth hung open in surprise. His hand let go of the laser rifle and then he fell back, hitting the floor with a thud. Tyson stepped out of the shadows, Boris's pistol in hand. He dropped it by the man's body.

No one dared say anything as they walked over to Boris's body. The bullet had gone straight through Boris's head, entering from the right and exiting out the left side.

Finally, Kenny broke the unnerving silence. "He's gone. That shot killed him instantly. He was dead before hit the ground."

Tyson merely nodded. Just then, the Saint Shields ran in, along with Hiro and Hilary.

"We heard a big pop. What happened?" Joseph asked.

"See for yourself," Kai said.

Upon seeing the corpse, Mariam gasped. Everyone else just looked on in shock. Hilary took one glance at Tyson and immediately knew what had happened. Tyson walked over to her and embraced her. She closed her eyes and hugged him back.

"So…is it over now?" Ozuma asked.

"Not yet," Tala said. "We need to get the boys that are here out and this place has to be destroyed so it can never be used by anyone ever again."

"My team will get the students out," Ozuma said.

"Fine. I'll find Spencer, Ian and Bryan."

"I'll handle the demolition," Kai said.

"What do we do with him?" Hiro asked, pointing to Boris's corpse.

"Leave him. Let him go out along with his creations," Hilary said coldly.

* * *

Once the team got all their tasks done, they went outside where Mr. Dickenson was waiting with a plane. Silently, the G-Revolutions, the former Demolition Boys, the Saint Shields and about twenty five other boys got on and took their seats. Mr. Dickenson didn't ask what happened. He was just glad that everyone was safe. They could hash out the details later.

"So, how long until we see the fireworks?" Daichi asked Kai.

"About five minutes, so I suggest we take off now," he answered.

"Good. Let's get the hell out of here," Tyson said.

The plane was in the air in three minutes and just before the abbey was out of sight, the explosion began. Everyone looked as the building was covered in smoke and flames. Though they didn't see it all, the group knew that in the end, nothing but a few pieces of rubble would be left.

Hilary laid her head down on Tyson's shoulder. She was physically and mentally exhausted. Tyson smiled softly. He finally had his Hilary back and he had no intention of ever losing her again.

Just before she drifted off to sleep, Hilary looked at Tyson with a small smile. "Thank you Tyson," she said just above a whisper.

"You're welcome," he said softly. He traced a hand down her cheek. "I love you," he added.

She didn't answer and he knew she was asleep. Tyson planted a quick kiss on her forehead and soon after, he succumbed to sleep himself.


	21. Epilogue

Well everyone, here's the epilogue. I know it's been a while in coming, but I wanted to make sure it came out as good as possible. I hope you like it.

* * *

Six months later, everything was back to normal, as much as was possible with all that had transpired. Once everyone was back to their respective homes, after a day of rest, the world over treated the G-Revolutions, White Tigers, All Starz, and even the Saint Shields with a big celebration for the destruction of Black Dranzer and the permanent dissolution of Biovolt. As Kai had said, no one blamed Hilary for releasing Black Dranzer.

Now that things had calmed down, everyone was starting to settle back into their routines, but a few important changes had taken place as well. Tala, Spencer, Ian, and Bryan had reformed the Demolition Boys but now they competed for the challenge of the sport rather than for conquest and power. The boys who had been students at the Abbey were mostly in protective custody, thanks to Mr. Dickenson and the BBA was trying to track down their individual families.

Ray had gone back to China to rejoin the White Tigers X and to further his relationship with Mariah. Max and Mariam had become an official couple and Mariam had moved with him to New York, though she still kept in contact with her teammates. Kenny and Emily still kept in contact through e-mail and had been on a few dates, for which Kenny was teased endlessly. Daichi was still a part of the G-Revolutions and seemed to take a liking to Ming-Ming.

Tyson and Hilary were still a couple and Hilary still spent a good deal of time at the Granger dojo, so much so that at one point, Tyson had asked her to move in with him permanently. Hilary had graciously refused, saying that she didn't want to impose on his family and that she still felt more comfortable living with her mother. Mrs. Tatibana had made a full recovery from the gunshot wound she suffered and was back to living with her daughter.

Kai was in a difficult position. In the time between Black Dranzer being released and the Abbey being blown up, which was about a month, Kai had discovered that he too had romantic feelings for Hilary. He had wrestled with the issue of whether or not to tell her for the past six months. Doing so could jeopardize the friendship he had with her and from what he had seen during the Black Dranzer ordeal, Kai was fairly certain that Tyson would kill him if he ever tried anything.

Though he hated to admit it, even to himself, Kai needed advice, so he was at this moment on the phone in the kitchen at the Granger dojo with one of the only people who could understand him.

"Ray? It's Kai."

"Hey man, what's up?" he asked.

"I need some advice," Kai said, somewhat softly so no one in the dojo would hear him.

"Sure. What's the problem?" Ray asked.

"I…I think I love Hilary."

Kai expected a more powerful reaction than the "I see," he got.

"I don't hear any gasping," Kai half-joked.

"I'm not that surprised, to tell you the truth. Your behavior kind of gave it away. Have you told her yet?"

"Are you kidding? I'd be lucky if Tyson was as merciful with me as he was with Boris."

"Oh come on Kai, you're exaggerating."

"Exaggerating or not, I know saying anything would disrupt my relationship with Hilary and it would disrupt her relationship with Tyson."

"True."

"That's why I need your advice. Should I tell Hilary?"

"Well, what you just said to me was 'I think I love Hilary'. You either love someone or you don't. Do you or don't you?"

Kai sighed. "I do."

"Okay. If you really love her, you'd want her to happy, regardless of what that takes, right?"

"Yeah,"

"Do you think telling Hilary of your feelings, given the situation, would make her happy?"

"No."

"Then you have your answer. Just be sure you can handle keeping those feelings inside."

Kai actually chuckled. "Ray, have you forgotten who you're talking to?"

Ray laughed. "Oh yeah, sorry. Well, anyway I'm glad you came to me. Call me up anytime you need to talk."

"I'll be sure to do that."

* * *

Tyson and Hilary were in the living room, watching TV. Tyson had his arm wrapped around Hilary's waist and she had laid her head on his shoulder. A news report came on.

"It's still hard to believe that Biovolt is truly gone. A point of debate in the aftermath of the Abbey's destruction was the status of its leader, Boris Balkov. No one knew whether or not he perished in the explosion. Reports from the BBA have confirmed that the scientist is dead and that he was in the building during the explosion. However, it is unknown if he was killed as a direct result of the blast or if he was already dead before-hand."

Hilary looked at Tyson and smirked. "It looks like Mr. Dickenson has kept his promise so far," she said.

"Yeah. Mr. D doesn't want anything tarnishing the reputation of the G-Revolutions, so I know he won't rat me out."

"Even if he did, I doubt anyone would care."

"You're probably right."

The man on the TV continued. "Another mystery in this saga is just who or what set off the explosion. The BBA has declined to launch an investigation, and the Russian government has given no comment on the matter."

Tyson turned the TV off. "I think I've heard enough about that to last me a lifetime."

"Same here," Hilary said. "It certainly has made for an interesting story with our classmates, though. Not every girl gets kidnapped, dies and subsequently gets brought back to life twice in two days."

"Hil, you know I hate it when you or anyone else mentions that part of the story."

"Sorry."

Daichi walked in from outside and immediately frowned upon seeing his teammates.

"Do you two ever spend more than five minutes apart?" he asked.

"Not if I can help it," Tyson said smirking.

"Shouldn't you be training now, Tyson?" Daichi asked.

"It's Saturday. You know I don't train on the weekends."

"Forget it. You're hopeless." He walked back outside, grumbling the whole time.

"I'll be right back, Hilary," Tyson said as he got up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Just need to ask Chief a question," he said. He threw her a smile before walking outside.

* * *

Tyson found Kenny on the dojo porch, on his laptop as usual.

"Hey Chief, can I borrow your laptop for a bit?" he asked.

"What for?" Kenny asked, looking at his friend suspiciously.

"I wanna look up how much a diamond ring would cost."

Kenny raised an eyebrow at Tyson. "One, why? Two, there are many different kinds of diamond rings, which kind are you looking for? Three, do I know you?"

Tyson laughed and sat down next to Kenny. "In order, it's for Hilary, something in fourteen to eighteen carat range, and yes Chief, it's me."

"Is this a present?" Kenny asked.

"Engagement ring," Tyson said.

"Engagement? Tyson, you just turned eighteen last month. Aren't you a little young to be thinking about marriage?"

"Who said I was gonna give it to her right away? I plan to wait a couple more years before I pop the question. I just want to do my homework ahead of time so I can get exactly what I want when the time comes."

"Alright Tyson, you can use my laptop but make it quick."

While Tyson was looking up a price comparison chart, Kenny decided to ask a couple more questions.

"What's your budget on this ring?"

"No less than five-hundred dollars, no more than fifteen-hundred dollars,"

"Or in our currency, between forty-eight thousand and one-hundred and forty-three thousand yen," Kenny said. "Can you afford that?"

"Of course I can, I'm the world champion. I have money from the championships, and I've been saving ever since I asked Hilary to be my girlfriend for this very reason."

"Tyson you do know that carat pertains to the weight of the diamond in addition to the purity of the gold used right?"

Tyson turned to Kenny. "No. What does weight have to do with it?"

"The more a diamond weighs, the more a diamond ring will cost and it might put some strain on Hilary's finger too."

"So something that says .57 carats means the weight of the diamond?"

Kenny nodded. "What about the cut or the color?" he asked.

"Well, the color I want is white and what about the cut?"

"A good cut diamond reflects more light and makes it shine brighter. If you can afford it, I would get a very good cut or a premium cut. Look, let me help you."

Kenny took Tyson to a store that allowed one to customize a ring. Kenny customized the settings for him and after about five minutes, Tyson had gotten the ring he wanted. It was a four-pronged 18-carat white gold band with a princess cut .45 carat diamond. The diamond was a Very Good cut and colorless or white as Tyson had wanted.

"Well, you stayed within your budget. With the band and the diamond, the ring costs a little over twelve hundred US dollars," Kenny said.

"Great. Order it." Tyson said.

"Order it? Tyson, I thought you said you'd wait before giving it to Hilary."

"I will. I'm gonna keep the ring in a safe place where Hilary won't find it."

"Alright Tyson." Kenny clicked the order button, filled out the necessary payment information and got off the site.

* * *

When Tyson finally came back inside, Hilary turned to him and asked, "What took you so long? I thought you just wanted to ask Chief a question."

"Yeah, I asked if I could use his computer."

"Oh. What did you need it for?"

"So I could get something for you," he said, grinning.

She smiled at him. "Tyson, you didn't need to get me anything. It's very sweet of you though." She kissed him on his cheek.

"I wanted to. It's something really special. But I wanna surprise you, so you're gonna have to wait for a while."

"So it has to get here first. Alright,"

"I mean wait until I decide to give it to you. I wanna wait until the perfect time."

She looked at him with a confused expression. "How long is this wait going to be?"

"Your birthday, two years from now," he said.

Hilary's eyes widened in shock. "Two years? Why that long?"

"Just trust me. I promise it'll be worth the wait."

She sighed, and nodded her understanding.

* * *

Two years later, on the day they had agreed on, Tyson took Hilary to the park. They had spent the whole day together and now it was late afternoon.

"I had a great time today Tyson," Hilary said.

"So did I. Well, I think you've waited long enough, so it's time I give you your present."

"Oh what is it?" she asked excitedly.

He took out a small black box and got down on one knee. He opened up the box, revealing the ring he bought for her. Hilary gasped and started to tear up as Tyson spoke.

"Hilary, I love you more than anyone else I've ever known and I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?"

"Yes! Of course I will!"

Tyson put the ring on his fiancé's finger and Hilary immediately pulled him into a loving embrace.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the joyful couple, Kai had been following them throughout the day, not because he was stalking them, but because he wanted to see the unfolding scene for himself. He smiled from his hiding place behind a secluded tree. Despite his own feelings for Hilary, he was truly glad for them.

_You be sure to make her happy Tyson_

Once he was sure he wouldn't be noticed, Kai made his exit.


End file.
